v.f 


'/.T 


/J— J 


I  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  | 
m>  Princeton,  N.J. /^      -?  f 

I  ^5Zr  * 


ROBERT  FINLEY,  D.D. 


J> 


•/ 


OF  THK 

REV.  ROBERT  FINLEY,  D.D. 

LATE    PASTOR 

OF 

THE  PRESBYTERIA?f  CONGREGATION 


AT  BASKING  RIDGE  NKW -JERSEY 


AND 


PRESIDENT  OF  FRANKLIN  COLLEGE, 

LOCATBD  AT  ATHENS,  IN  THE  STATE  OF  GEORGIA. 
WITH 

BRIEF  SKETCHES 

OF  SOME  OF  HIS  COTEMPORARISS? 

AN» 

NUMEROUS  NOTES. 


BY  THE  REY.  ISAAC  V.  BROWN,  A.M, 


NEW-BRUi\SWICK  ; 

PUBLISHED  BY  TERHUNE  &  LETSON 

1819. 


W    UYIR,  PRINTBR. 


DIS TRICT  OF  NE W-JERSEY,  ss. 

r^"^''i  13  E  it  recaembercd,  that  on  the  twelfth  day  of  April,  in  the  forty-lhirfi 
Ll^'^i  "^  y*''^''  of  the  independence  of  the  United  States  of  America,  Isaac  V. 
BaawN,  of  the  said  District,  hath  deposited  in  thi?  office  the  title  of  a 
book,  the  right  whfreof  he  claims  as  autlior,  in  the  words  following,  to  wit : — 
"Memoirs  of  the  (lev  Rohf-rt  Finley,  D,  D.  late  Pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
Congregation  at  Basking  Ridge,  New  Jersey,  and  President  of  Franklin  College. 
located  at  Athens,  in  the  state  of  Georgia  ;  with  hrie;  bkjtrhepof  some  of  his 
ecttciiioraries,  and  numerous  Notes.  By  the  Rev.  Isaac  V  Brown,  A.  M." 
In  conloroiity  to  an  act  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  entitled  an  aet  foi 
the  encourageraPDt  of  learning,  by  seiu'iogthe  copies  of  maps,  charts  and  books, 
to  the  authors  and  proprietora  of  sncb  copies,  dxring  the  times  therein  mentioned  ; 
and  also  to  the  act,  entitled  an  act  supplementary  to  the  act  euti  led  an  act  for 
the  encouragemfnt  of  learninj:.  by  securing  the  copies  of  maps,  charts  ao!  books] 
to  the  authors  aud  proprietors  of  such  copies,  during  the  times  th«'iein  men'ion-l 
ed  and  extending  the  benefits  thereof  to  the  arts  of  designing,  etching  aud  en- 1 
craving  hiEtorical  and  other  priot?.  I 

WILLIAM  rE>NINGTON, 

Clerk  of  the  District  of  Kew-Jeraer. 


tEEFACE. 


An  intelligent  gentleman,  in  the  congregation  of 
Basking  Ridge,  many  jears  ago,  while  contempla- 
ting his  beloved  pastor,  in  the  midst  of  his  ministeri- 
al labours  and  successes,  made  the  foiiowing  decla- 
ration :  "  Were  I  ambitious,  I  would  rather  be 
Robert  Finley  than  Csesar  or  Bonaparte  !" 

And  truly  his  character  V¥as  so  exalted  and  pure, 
his  life  so  conspicuous  and  useful,  his  transactions 
so  judicious  and  important,  and  his  name  so  dear, 
that  forming,  in  this  transitory  world,  a  mem.o'ial  of 
his  excellence,  is  an  act,  not  less  of  justice  to  him, 
than  of  kindness  to  ourselves.  Few  men  have  re- 
cently appeared  on  the  stage  of  life,  more  truly  and 
deeply  devoted  to  the  interests  of  Christ's  kingdom 
and  the  good  of  mankind ;  few  men  have  been  so 
early  in  life,  so  prominently  and  so  indefatigably  en- 
gaged in  enterprises  of  benevolence  and  pic^y  ;  few 
men  have  performed  so  many  labours  in  the  church, 
and  enjoyed  so  great  a  harvest  of  success  in  the  di- 
vine service,  as  Dr.  Finley.  There  are  therefore 
but  few^  whose  claims  upon  the  church  and  upon 
the  world,  for  posthumous  regard,  are  so  clear  and  so 
strong,  as  his,  and  there  have  recently  been  few 
whose  lives  and  characters  are  so  well  calculated  to 
instruct,  to  animate  and  profit  others. 


VI  PRJCFACE. 

It  was  under  the  influence  of  su  \h  sentiments  re- 
specting Dr.  Finley,  that  the  resolution,  to  attempt 
preparing  a  biographical  view  of  his  character  and 
life,  was  first  formed.  The  narrow  limits,  then  con- 
templated, have  been  insensibly  and  unavoidably 
surpassed  : — that  which  was  originally  expected  to 
make  a  pamphlet,  or,  at  most,  a  small  12  mo.  has 
been  necessarily  enlarged  and  put  into  the  form  of  an 
octavo.  In  the  course  of  the  narrative,  the  names  of 
several  deceased  ministers  of  the  gospel  rose  in- 
to view,  who  are  still  remembered  with  interest  by 
some  and  who  deserve  the  tribute  of  recollection 
and  respect  which  is  here  paid  to  them. 

Dr.  Finley  was  so  earnestly  devoted  to  the  busi- 
ness of  education  in  all  its  degrees  and  relations,  that 
in  order  to  illustrate  fully  his  views  and  transactions 
in  regard  to  that  subject,  as  well  as  others,  it  was 
thought  expedient  to  introduce  in  the  form  of  notes 
at  the  close  of  the  volume  several  essays  or  discus- 
sions, on  topics  incidentally  connected  with  the  nar- 
rative. This  measure  was  adopted  the  more  readily, 
because  it  afforded  the  writer  an  opportunity  to  incor- 
porate with  these  illustrations,  a  few  hints  and  sug- 
gestions on  the  same  subjects,  which  have  occurred  to 
him  during  the  last  ten  years  while  engaged  in  the 
business  of  instruction,  and  which  are  also  the  re- 
sult of  some  reflection  upon  the  state  and  prospects  of 
American  literature. 

With  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  the  work 
has  been  executed,  the  writer  would  observe  that 


PREFACB.  Vll 

he  is  fully  sersible  of  the  correctness  and  force  of 
the  remark  : — 

^'Difficile  estpropne  communia  dicereJ*^ 

Nevertheless  he  has  dared  to  disregard  an  injunc- 
tion of  the  same  high  classic  authority  : — 

"  Sape  styliim  vertas  iterum^  qucs  digna  legi 
sint   Scripturusy 

Having  enjoyed  neither  much  leisure,  nor  good 
health,  during  the  period  in  which  the  manuscript, 
of  the  following  memoirs  &c.  was  prepared,  he  has 
not  pleased  himself,  and  cannot  therefore,  expect, 
very  extensively,  to  please  others.  His  great  object 
has  been  to  draw  a  true  character,  rather  than  a  hand- 
some portrait — to  make  an  honest  and  useful,  rather 
than  a  splendid  volume — to  place  correctly  before  our 
view  that  high, 

"  Exemplar  vita  morumque^'* 
which  this  deceased  man  of  God  uniformly  exhibi- 
ted while  among  us — and  thus,   to  render  to   the 
Heavenly  Father  a  deserved  and  lasting  tribute  of 
praise  for  the  signal  manifestations   of  his  grace, 
which  we  behold  in  the  life  of  his  servant. 

On  the  v/hole,  if  this  volume  shall  be  found  to 
record  events  and  to  detail  transactions  conducive 
to  the  honour  of  God,  to  human  improvement 
and  Christian  comfort ; — if  it  shall,  in  some  small 
measure  furnish  materials  to  assist  others,  hereaf- 
ter, in  forming  a  connected  and  expanded  view 
of  the  church  of  Christ  and  of  divine  benefi- 
cence and  grace  to  men  ; — if,  by  exhibiting  the  ar- 


VIU  JKREFACE. 

dent  and  uiivvearied  exertions  of  this  distinguished 
and  excellent  servant  of  the  Lord,  it  shall  be  inbtru- 
mental  in  strengthening  the  resolutions  and  exciting 
the  zeal  of  survivors,  to  follow  him  in  his  pious  and 
benevolent  career,  to  repair  the  loss  which  is  sustain- 
ed by  his  lamented  removal,  to  preserve  from  fail- 
ure and  carry  to  perfection  the  plans  of  benevolence, 
from  the  prosecution  of  which,  he  was  suddenly 
withdrawn,  the  end  of  this  publication  will  be  accom- 
plished. And.  to  make  it  productive  of  these  happy 
results,  may  the  divine  benediction  rest  upon  it ! 
Jjciu'rencevtlle,  JV»  J.  JaJiuarn  7,  IB  J 9,. 


CONTENTS. 


VIEW  of  Mr.  James  Finley,  father  of  Robert               -                 .  9 

Robert  Finley's  birth  and  early  education               -               -               -  14 

JEnters  College                           -                       -                          -               -  15 

His  first  serious  impression,  his  success  in  College,               -               -  IG 

Graduates  and  commences  teaching                       -               -                  -  16 

His  success  in  this  employment,  invitation  to  Maryland             -            -  17 
Takes  charge  of  an  Academy  at  Allentown,  makes  a  public  profession  of 

religion,  invited  to  teach  in  Charleston                       -                    -  18 

Extracts  from  his  diary  in  Charleston            -                        -                    -  19 

Returns  to  New-Jersey  and  commence?  the  study  of  Theology          -  24 

Is  made  Tutor  in  College,  extracts  from  his  diary  there         -                -  24 

Mr  Finley's  licensure  and  ordination                    -                -               -  28 

His  marriage                        -                                -                              -  31 

The  origin  and  progress  of  his  8cl)ool                    -                           -  3[ 

Immediate  benefit  of  his  ministry                       -               -                   -  38 

An  awakening  is  experienced                -                            -                   -  39 

Mr.  Finley's  account  of  this  great  event               -               -                 -  40 

His  great  zeal  and  powerful  exertion                    -                   -                   -  50 

His  efforts  to  retain  the  Bible  in  English  Schools              -                   -  53 

Is  elected  a  Trus^^ee  of  Princeton  College                -               -                 -  54 

Another  excitement  is  felt  in  his  parish                -                    -                -  55 
Mr.  Fioley  appointed  to  preach  the  Missionary  Sermon,  before  the 

Genral  Assembly  in  Philadelphia  -  -  -55 

Is  appointed  same  year  a  delegate  to  the  General  Association  of  Connecticut  55 

A  very  interesting  scene  at  Basking  Ridge                        -                         -  56 

Mr.  Finley  labors  in  Sussex  and  other  places            •                       -  57 

He  and  Mr.  Woodhull  originate  the  Bible  Class  system            -                -  6 

Transactions  of  Presbytery  respecting  it                       -                       -  61 

of  the  Synod                   -                       -                       -  62 

of  the  General  Assembly                -                 -                   -  63 

Mr  Finley  introduces  the  svstem  in<o  his  parish                -                   -  65 

Divine  blessing  follows— youth  awakened — a  great  excitement  is  produced  65 

Mr.  Finley's  tours  in  the  skirts  of  his  parish                  -                       -  70 

His  health  becomes  impaired            -                           -                       •  75 

The  Colonization  Society  formed  December  1816                -                   -  75 
View  of  his  agency  in  tfiis  business,  his  visit  to  Washington,  exertions  there, 

publicatiocs  oa  the  subject,  journey  home,  measures  at  Philadelphia  and 

Trenton                  -                            -                  -                    -  7.7 


IV 


CONTENTS, 


Mr.  Finley  invited  to  settle  as  a  pastor  in  Washington  -  -  109 

His  invitation  to  Georgia,  correspoudence  on  the  subject  of  removal  109 

Conflict  in  his  mind,  but  he  resolves  to  go        -  -  -  H6 

Resigns  his  seat  as  Trustee  of  College,  is  honored  with  the  degree  of  D.  D. 

from  College  of  Princeton  .  •  .  116 

Is  separated  from  his  congregation  and  dismissed  from  the  Presbytery  of 

New-Brunswick  .  •  ,  .  117 

Takes  leave  of  his  congregation  .  *  .  119 

Sets  oflf  for  New  York— sails,  &c.  .  .  .       .  124 

Arrives  at  Sarannah  .  •  .  .-  .  125 

Letter?  giving  a  statement  of  first  impressions  .  .  126 

A  sketch  of  the  College  at  Athens,  its  situation,  resources,  &c.  .  133 

Dr.  Finley's  first  measures,  recommendations,  &c.  .  .  138 

His  labors  in  College— in  the  Village  .  .  .  140 

First  commencement  .  .  .  ,  142 

Dr.  Finley'8  fatal  tour  .  .  .  i  .143 

He  attends  Presbytery  .  ...  145 

He  preaches  there  .  .  .  .  146 

Attends  a  Sacramental  service,  distant  from  Athens        .  .  .  147 

Is  taken  sick,  his  disease,  some  observatiens  on  his  sick  bed  ,  148 

Communications  relating  to  bis  illness  and  death  .  ,  149 

Impressions  made  on  the  public  mind        .  .  .  .  152 

Obituary  notice  of  him  published  in  Georgia  .  .  .  153 

Kecommendationof  the  Senatus  Academicus        .  .  .  155 

Transactions  of  the  Trustees  of  Franklin  College  .  .  156 

Letter  of  consolation  to  an  afflicted  Lady  .  .  .  158 

Additional  letters  on  various  subjects  .  .  .  .  162 

General  view  of  his  publications  ....  170 

A  summary  of  his  character  ♦  ...  175 

NOTES,  SKETCHES,  &c. 

Note  A.  Dangers  of  sending  sons  too  early  to  college  .  .  189 

NoteB.  Advantages  of  teaching  to  young  men  .  .  193 

Note  C.  Sketch  of  Rev.  J.  F.  Armstrong  ...  197 

Note  D,  Sketch  of  Rev.  G  T  Snowdea  ,  .  .205 

Note  E.  Sketch  of  Rev.  Dr.  Jos.  Clark  ...  213 

Note  P.  Sketch  of  Rev.  Samuel  Kennedy  .  .  .229 

Note  G.  Sketch  o^  Rev.  Jas.  Caldwell,  &c.  .  .  .  237 

Note  H.  A  view  of  Revivals  .  .  .  251 

Note  I.  Importance  of  employing  good  English  Teachers         .  .  299 

Note  J.  Propriety  of  using  the  Bible  in  English  Schools  .  .  303 

Note  K.  Excellence  of  the  Bible  Class  sygtem         ,.  .  .  307 

Note  L.  Dialogues  on  the  African  Colony  .  .  .313 

Note  M.  Hints  for  improving  School*  and  Colleges  .  .        .  347 

Note  N.  Sketch  of  Rev.  William  Boyd  .  -      *        •    W 


MEx\IOIRS 

OF 

REV.  ROBERT  FINLEY,  D.D.  &c.  &c. 


3Ir.  James  Finley,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  narra- 
tive, was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  A.  D.  1737.  Be- 
fore he  reached  his  eighteenth  year,  religion  took  a 
powerful  hold  of  his  mind.  It  pleased  God,  early  to  lay 
hira  low,  and  to  hold  him  long  under  deep  convictions 
and  apprehensions,  in  a  state  of  suspense  and  anxiety, 
so  awful  as  nearly  to  break  the  power  of  his  reason  and 
the  vigour  of  his  frame.  At  the  set  time,  God  re- 
vealed himself  in  mercy,  to  this  convinced  and  mourning 
sinner,  inspiring  hope  and  gladness,  where  guilt  and 
horror  had  lately  reigned.  Through  life,  he  often 
spoke  of  the  sore  conflicts  he  then  endured,  and  declar- 
ed his  full  belief,  that,  though  painful  for  the  present^ 
they  had  been  good  and  salutary,  working  out  to  him, 
more  abundantly,  the  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness. 

Mr.  Finley  was  trained  to  the  business  of  a  yarn 
merchant,  in  his  native  city.  In  the  prosecution  of  this 
employment,  he  supplied  himself  with  materials,  by  at- 
tending the  fairs  of  the  surrounding  country,  where  the 
commodities,  in  which  he  dealt,  were  exhibited  for  sale, 
in  great  abundance  and  variety.  On  account  of  his  su-, 
perior  ability  and  fidelity  in  his  profession,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  office  of  superintendent,  and  discharged 


10  MEMOIRS  OF 

the  duties  of  inspector  of  the  yarn  factories  in  Glasgow 
and  its  vicinity. 

He  became,  very  early,  acquainted  ^vith  the  Rev. 
John  Witherspoon,  who  was  then  an  eminent  minister 
of  .the  gospel,  exercising  his  pastoral  functions  in  the 
town  of  Paisley,  about  six  miles  distant  from  Glasgow. 
So  warm  was  his  regard  for  Mr.  Witherspoon,  that  he 
frequently  left  the  church,  to  which  he  was  attached,  in 
his  native  city,  and  walked  to  Paisley,  on  Sabbath  days, 
to  attend  the  ministrations  of  his  admired  friend.  His 
attachment  to  him,  became  unusually  sincere  and  strong. 
He  admired  him  as  a  preacher  of  the  gospel :  he  rejoic- 
ed in  his  efforts  to  restore  pure  Presbyterian  govern- 
ment in  the  church  of  Scotland :  he  sympathised  with 
him  in  the  struggles  and  persecutions  he  encountered  in 
his  attempts,  thus,  to  set  aside  the  corrupt  and  oppressive 
system  of  patronage,  which  had  been  imposed  upon  the 
people. 

Dr.  Witherspoon,  warmly  reciprocated  the  respect 
and  affection,  of  his  pious  and  excellent  friend.  After 
accepting  the  presidency  of  Princeton  College,  and  emi- 
grating to  Vmerica,  A.  Y).  1768,  he  invited  him  to  come 
over  and  settle  in  the  same  place.  Mr.  Finiey  yielded 
to  this  solicitation,  and  with  his  wife,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Angres,  landed  at  New-York,  in  1769.  At 
Princeton,  the  intercourse  and  familiarity,  commenced 
in  Scotland,  were  renewed,  and  continued  till  termina- 
ted, by  the  death  of  the  illustrious  President,  A.  D. 
1794.  In  this  village  Mr.  Finiey,  pursued,  with  dili- 
gence and  respectability  the  mechanical  occupation  of 
weaving,  for  which  his  employment  in  Scotland,  seem- 
ed, in  some  measure,  to  qualify  him.  Here  also  he  oc- 
cupied for  many  years,  the  office  of  ruling  elder  in  the 


DR.     FINLEV.  11 

■I*- 

Presbyterian  church.  He  was  an  eminently  pious  and 
exemplary  Christian.  His  faculties  of  mind  naturally 
strong-  and  active,  had  been  long  and  earnestly  employ- 
ed on  the  noblest  subjects.  His  memory  strongly  re- 
tentive, was  richly  stored  with  a  knowledge  of  the  Ho- 
ly Scriptures  and  of  human  life  ;  and  his  zeal  and  enga- 
gedness  in  religion  being  uncommonly  lively  and  uni- 
form, he  w^as  truly  an  instructing  and  interesting  com- 
panion and  a  highly  useful  and  valuable  member  of  socie- 
ty. JMany  wise  and  good  men,  sought  his  company  and 
frequented  his  house,  to  be  edified  by  his  intelligent  and 
pious  conversation,  and  to  be  animated  in  ways  of  piety, 
by  his  fervent  prayers  and  glowing  zeal. 

During  the  struggles  of  the  American  colonies  for  lib- 
erty and  independence,  Mr.  Finley  manifested  that  he 
had,  indeed,  adopted  this,  as  his  country.  He  was  a 
warm  and  decided  advocate  and  supporter  of  the  Ameri- 
can revolution.  He  was  employed,  as  clothier  to  a  bri- 
gade of  American  troops  and  held  this  office  while  the 
English  were  in  possession  of  Princeton.  He  continued 
at  home  during  this  period,  and  had  constant  intercourse 
with  several  British  officers,  who  quartered  in  his  house, 
without  incurring  the  charge  of  indifference  to  the 
cause  of  the  colonies,  on  the  one  hand,  or  making  him- 
self peculiarly  obnoxious  to  the  enemy,  on  the  other. 
He  suffered  much  in  his  temporal  interests,  in  (he  result 
of  this  agency,  by  receiving  almost  the  wiiole  of  his  com- 
pensation, for  revolutionary  services  which  he  had  ren- 
dered, and  private  moneys  which  he  had  expended,  in 
the  currency  of  the  provinces,  when  it  had  sunk  to 
almost  nothing.  This  was  peculiarly  afflicting  to  him, 
inasmuch  as  by  misfortunes,  in  his  native  country,  his 


1'2  MEMOIRS   OF 

pecuniary  circumstances  had  become  much  reduced  and 
his  prospects  of  reinstatement  very  dubious. 

AA^hile  residing  at  Princeton,  Mr.  Finley  correspond- 
ed for  many  years  with  David  Dale,  Esq.=^  the  honoura- 
ble Bailiff  of  the  district  he  had  inhabited  in  Scotland. 
Epistolary  intercourse  with  that  distinguished  and  ex- 
cellent man,  was  continued  after  Mr.  Finley's  decease 
by  his  son  Robert.  It  is  a  subject  of  deep  regret  that 
the  letters  of  this  correspondence,  very  valuable  and  in- 
teresting on  many  accounts,  cannot  be  obtained. 

*  The  following  sketch  of  this  distinguished  and  excellent  man  is  taken  from 
the  Assembly's  Missionary  Magazine  for  the  year  1806,  page  341  : — 

"Died  at  Glasgow,  on  the  17th  current,  in  the  68th  year  of  his  age,  David 
Dale,  Esq  of  Rosebank,  late  one  of  the  magistrates  of  that  city.  The  character 
of  this  good  man  comprehended  in  it  so  many  points  of  excellence,  that  only  an 
imperfect  outline  of  it  can  here  be  given.  He  had  not  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  a 
polished  or  liberal  education  j  but  this  want  was  compensated  by  a  large  share 
of  natural  sagacity  and  sound  sense,  by  an  accurate  and  discriminating  knowledge 
of  human  character,  and  by  a  modest  and  dignified  simplicity  of  manner,  which 
secured  to  him  universal  respect  and  attention.  A  zealous  promoter  of  general 
industry  and  of  the  manufactures  of  his  country,  his  schemes  of  business  were  ex- 
tensive and  liberal,  conducted  with  singular  prudence  and  perseverance,  and,  by 
the  blessing  of  God,  were  crowned  with  such  abundant  success  as  served  to  ad- 
vance his  rank  in  society  and  to  furnish  him  with  the  means  of  that  diffusive  be- 
nevolence which  rendered  his  life  a  public  blessing  and  shed  a  lustre  on  his  char- 
acter that  has  been  but  too  rarely  exemplified.  Impelled  by  the  powerful  influ- 
ence of  that  truth  which  he  fir^ily  believed  and  zealously  taught,  constrained  by 
the  love  and  animated  by  the  example  of  his  blessed  Master,  his  ear  was  never 
shut  to  the  cry  of  distress  ;  his  private  charities  were  boundless  ;  and  every  pub- 
lic institution  which  had  for  its  object  the  alleviation  or  prevention  of  human  mise- 
ry, in  this  world  or  the  world  to  come,  received  from  him  the  most  liberal  sup- 
port and  encouragement.  For  while  the  leading  object  of  his  life  was  the  diffu- 
sion of  the  light  of  truth  in  the  earth,  he  gladly  embraced  every  opportunity  of 
becoming,  like  the  patriarchs  of  old,  "  eyes  to  the  blind,  and  feet  to  the  lame,'* 
and  of  causing  "  the  widow's  heart  to  sing  for  joy."  In  private  life,  his  conduct, 
actuated  by  the  same  principles,  was  equally  exemplary ;  for  he  was  a  kind  parent, 
a  generous  friend,  a  wise  and  faithful  counsellor,  "  a  lover  of  hospitality,  a  lover  of 
good  men,  sober,  just,  holy,  temperate."  And  now,  having  thus  occupied  his  tal- 
ents, he  hath  "  entered  into  the  joy  of  his  Lord.  Mark  t!ie  perfect  ana  behold 
the  upright,  for  the  end  of  thatraan  is  peace." 


DR.   FINLEY.  13 

Mr.  Finley  visited  Dr.  Witherspooii  tVeqiientlj  and 
affectionately  towards  the  close  of  his  life,  and  attended 
him  with  peculiar  kindness  and  faithfulness  as  a  friend, 
in  his  last  sickness.  Soon  after  the  death  of  Dr.  Wither- 
spoon,  he  resolved  to  spend  the  residue  of  his  days  in 
the  society  of  his  sons,  Robert  and  Alexander,  and  accor- 
dingly moved  to  Basking  Ridge,  the  place  of  their  abode. 
His  age,  his  infirmity,  his  circumstances  altogether  had  be- 
come  such  as  to  require  filial  attention  ai^d  kindnes?. 
And  here,  while  this  patriarchal  friend  of  God,  receiv- 
ed the  respect  and  veneration  of  all  around  him,  he  en- 
joyed the  most  affectionate  and  faithful  attention  of  his 
sons,  residing  near  him,  and  especially  of  his  son  Robert, 
whose  circumstances  enabled  him  to  indulge  all  his  filial 
fondness,  by  providing  for  his  beloved,  and  declining  pa- 
rent, every  thing  necessary  for  his  ease  and  comfort. 

At  Basking  Ridge  Mr.  Finley  was  elected  a  member 
of  session,  and  faithfully  discharged  the  duties  of  ruling 
elder  in  that  congregation.  His  personal  appearance, 
his  established  reputation^  his  considerable  knowledge, 
his  ardent  piety,  and  unblemished  deportment,  all  con- 
tributed to  render  him  a  peculiarlj'  suitable  person  to 
fill  that  station.  He  was  tall,  erect  and  slender — his 
features  were  strong  and  prominent — his  head  was 
whitened  with  years — his  whole  aspect  was  peculi- 
arly grave,  dignified  and  solemn.  These  circumstan- 
ces, associated  v/ith  uncommon  intelligence  of  mind 
and  sanctity  of  character,  gave  great  respectability  and 
interest  to  his  frequent  performances,  in  the  religious 
societies  uniformly  held,  and  in  the  occasional  meetings 
of  the  congregation,  in  the  absence  of  their  pastor,  where 
he  generally  assisted.  His  prayers  on  these  occasions, 
were  remarkable  for  comprehensiveness,  for  weighty 
matter,  and  for  profound  devotion. 


14  MEMOIRS   OF 

"When  death  appeared  to  be  drawing  near,  lie  con- 
templated his  dissolution,  with  great  calmness  and  sat- 
isfaction. On  being  asked,  when  apparently  near  his 
close,  how  he  felt,  he  replied,  "just  as  I  wish  to  feel !" 
When  almost  exhausted,  he  intimated  a  desire  that  all 
his  relatives,  in  the  vicinity,  should  be  assembled  around 
Jiis  bed,  that  he  might  take  a  last  view  of  the  only  ob- 
jects on  earth,  which  he  considered  dear  to  him  and 
commit  them  to  God.  And  after  being  gently  raised  up 
by  his  son  Robert,  he  cast  his  eyes  complacently  round  up- 
on the  interesting  group  and  raising  them  towards  heaven, 
feebly  whispered  "it  is  done,"  and  sweetly  expired  in 
the  seventy-second  year  of  his  age,  in  the  full  and  joy- 
ful hope  of  a  glorious  immortality  through  Jesus  Christ. 

Such  men  are  the  salt  of  the  earth  !  the  light  of  the 
world ! — How  happy,  to  be  a  Christian  ! — How  inestima- 
ble the  privilege  and  blessing  of  being  descended  from 
such  a  parent ! ! 

Robert  Finley  was  born  at  Princeton,  New-Jersey, 
A.  D.  1772,  He  was  very  early  instructed  in  the  ele- 
ments of  the  English  language,  and  in  his  eighth  year, 
commenced  the  study  of  the  Latin,  in  his  native  village. 
The  salutary  effects  of  early  parental  instruction  and 
care,  were  soon  discoverable  in  him.  For  a  youth  of 
his  age,  he  was  uncommonly  grave  and  judicious  in  his 
deportment.  After  passing,  in  a  short  period,  through 
the  hands  of  a  number  of  teachers,  it  was  happily  order- 
ed that  he  should  here  become  a  pupil  of  Mr.  Ashbel 
Green,  the  same  gentlemen  who  is  now  President  of  the 
College  of  New-Jersey.  At  this  period,  Mr.  Green  was 
a  student  in  college,  and  the  studies  of  his  class  not  be- 
ing sufficient  to  occupy  the  whole  of  his  attention,  by 
the  advice  of  Dr.  Witherspoon,  he  spent  half  his  time  in 


■caciiiii^  iiie  i^iaiuiSiar  school,  whiCli  v»u,^  wmcu  uuuci  ^.'; 
doctor's  superintendence.     "VVhiie  this  arrangement  con 
tributed  to  increase  the  classical  accuracy  and  generai 
respectability  of  the  youthful  instructor,  it  had  a  tendeir 
cy  no  less  happy,  to  advance  the  interesting  pupil  in  hi?^ 
academic  course,  and  to  lay  the  foundation  of  that  pre 
eminence,  in  this  important  department  of  literature,  to 
which  he  rose  in  after  life.     He  was  observed  by  bi 
teacher,  to  be  a  youth,  considering  his  age,  of  nine'.; 
more  than  ordinary  stability  of  character,  closeness  of 
application,  and  penetration  of  mind.     He  was  not  sat- 
isfied, at  this  early  period,  with  devoting  the  usual  hour? 
to  study ;  but  frequently,  in  leisure  seasons,  he  waitec 
on  his  teacher,  in  his  private  apartment,  to  obtain  from 
him,  more  fully,  the  explanations  and  aids,   which  he 
found  necessary,  to  enable  him  successfully  to  prosecute 
his  prescribed  daily  course. 

In  the  eleventh"^  year  of  his  age,  he  was  admitted  in- 
to the  college,  as  a  member  of  the  freshman  class.  Mr. 
Green,  having,  at  the  commencement  preceding,  re- 
ceived his  first  degree  in  the  liberal  arts,  and  having 
been  subsequently  elected  tutor  in  college,  here  again 
found  with  pleasure,  placed  under  his  personal  instruc- 
tion and  management,  the  lad  who  had,  the  year  before, 
been  his  pupil  in  the  grammar  school.  In  the  sopho- 
more class,  during  the  year  following,  the  same  relation 
subsisted  between  this  respectable  teacher  and  promis- 
ing scholar.  The  means  and  opportunities  thus  enjoyed 
by  Mr.  Finley,  to  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  Greek  and  Latin  languages,  which  were  the  princi- 
pal subjects  of  study  in  the  two  lower  classes  of  college, 

*  See  note  A.  at  the  end  of  this  narrative. 


16  MEMOIRS  Ol- 

were  as  good  as  could  have  been  desired.  And  experi- 
ence has  abundantly  proved,  that  he  was  an  apt  and  suc- 
cessful student,  making  such  improvement,  as  to  reflect 
honour  on  his  principal  instructor,  and  to  secure  the 
reputation  of  eminence  in  this  branch  of  science. 

About  the  time  of  his  entering  the  junior  class  in  col- 
lege, he  gave  evidence  that  God  had  visited  him  in  mer- 
cy, and  impressed  his  mind  deeply  with  a  sense  of  the 
importance  of  religion.  It  was  even  hoped,  by  his  fond 
and  anxious  friends,  that  he  had  experienced  a  gracious 
change,  and  passed  from  death  unto  life.  Modest  and 
distrustful,  he  did  not  view  his  spiritual  state,  in  so  fa- 
vourable and  satisfactory  a  light  as  others  did,  with 
whom  he  conversed  on  this  interesting  subject.  He 
halted,  and  continued  in  painful  suspense  for  a  conside- 
rable time  ;  but  God,  having  begun  this  good  work,  car- 
ried it  on  unto  perfection. 

Although  the  mathematical,  philosophical  and  belles 
lettres  studies,  with  which  the  junior  and  senior  classes 
are  chiefly  occupied,  were  somewhat  above  the  years 
and  capacity  of  our  young  student,  yet  he  appeared^ 
through  the  whole  of  his  collegiate  course,  respectable 
for  scholarship,  as  v/ell  as  deportment:  and  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  degree  of  bachelor  of  arts,  by  the  trustees 
of  the  college  at  Princeton,  in  his  sixteenth  year. 

Having  thus  early  finished  the  course  of  his  educa- 
tion, a  question  of  great  importance  was  now  to  be  de- 
cided ;  how  he  should  be  employed.  Dr.  Witherspoon, 
the  friend  of  the  father,  was  also  the  friend  and  adviser 
of  the  son.  During  the  first  winter  after  leaving  college, 
Mr.  Finley  was  employed,  under  the  superintendence 
of  the  venerable  president,  as  teacher  of  the  grammar 
school.     Here  he  began  to  manifest  that  peculiar  talent 


Dil.  FINLEr.  If 

for  the  government  and  instruction  of  youth,  which  he 
afterwards  exercised  and  displayed,  in  several  stations, 
in  a  manner  so  highly  reputable  to  himself,  and  useful  to 
the  public. 

A  considerable  number  of  the  pupils  were  from  the 
south,  farther  advanced  in  years  than  the  teacher,  irreg- 
ular and  insubordinate  in  their  temper  and  manners. 
Mr.  Finley  proceeded  with  energy,  to  introduce  order, 
and  establish  discipline  in  the  institution.  The  elder 
portion  of  the  youth  manifested  a  refractory  temper,  re- 
sisted his  regulations,  and,  on  being  urged  to  comply, 
broke  out  into  open  rebellion,  in  hopes  of  intimidating  the 
youthful  instructor,  and  constraining  him  to  connive  at 
their  idle  and  disorderly  habits.  He  maintained  his  au- 
thority with  dignity  and  firmness,  suspended  the  refrac- 
tory, and  referred  their  case  to  Dr.  Witherspoon,  under 
whose  superintendence  he  acted,  and  under  whose 
guardianship  most  of  the  young  men  were  placed.  Dr. 
Witherspoon,  being  informed  of  these  circumstances, 
visited  the  school;  investigated  the  whole  matter;  pro- 
nounced his  full  and  decided  approbation  of  the  meas- 
ures and  conduct  of  Mr.  Finley ;  established  the  influ- 
ence of  his  young  friend,  by  the  whole  weight  of  his 
own  dignity  and  authority;  compelled  the  disorderly 
to  make  suitable  acknowledgments,  and  to  return  sub- 
missively to  their  studies,  under  the  very  system  against 
which  they  had  revolted. 

After  some  time  spent  in  this  employment,  Mr.  Finley 
was  invited  to  take  charge  of  a  respectable  seminary  in 
the  state  of  Maryland.  With  a  view  of  complying  with 
this  invitation,  he  visited  that  state;  but  Providence 
frowned  upon  this  arrangement.  Just  as  he  reached 
the  place  of  destination,  the  academy  was  destroyed  by 

3 


18  MEMOIRS  OF 

fire,  and  his  prospect  of  employment  and  usefulness 
thei-e,  entirely  blasted.  He  returned  immediately  to  his 
native  place,  and  accepted  an  invitation  to  teach  the 
academy  at  A! lento wn,  New- Jersey.  The  Presbyterian 
congregation  existing  there,  was  then  under  the  pasto- 
ral care  of  the  Rev.  Joseph  Clark,  through  whose  in- 
strumentality, Mr.  Finley  was  obtained  to  teach  the 
academy. 

Mr.  Finley's  mind  had  been  very  seriously  exercised, 
upon  the  subject  of  religion,  already,  more  than  two 
years.  His  impressions  increased  with  his  growing  age 
and  maturity.  During  the  time  now  spent  in  Allentown, 
his  pious  exercises  and  inquiries  were  brought,  by  Di- 
vine Grace,  to  a  happy  result.  The  serious  public  dis- 
courses and  pious  conversation  of  Mr.  Clark,  were  pe- 
culiarly blessed  to  his  spiritual  interest  and  comfort,  so 
that  now,  in  his  seventeenth  year,  he  entered  into  co- 
venant with  God,  made  a  profession  of  his  faith,  and  was 
admitted  to  commune  with  the  church,  in  the  Lord's 
supper. 

AVhile  in  this  situation,  he  was  solicited  to  undertake 
the  business  of  instruction,  in  the  city  of  Charleston, 
South  Carolina.  Although  he  was  young  and  inexpe- 
rienced, the  contemplated  place  of  employment  remote, 
the  station  conspicuous,  and  the  labours  arduous;  yet 
he  yielded  to  the  request,  and  ventured  himself  into  the 
society  and  service  of  strangers,  trusting  in  the  protec- 
tion and  care  of  his  Almighty  Friend.  Here  he  was 
kindly  received  and  entertained.  His  services  at 
Charleston  were  highly  acceptable  to  the  public,  and 
honourable  to  himself.  The  acquaintances  which  he 
formed  with  families  f  distinction,  and  the  attachments 
he  conciliated,  during  his  residence  in  that  city,  were 


DR.  FINLEY.  19 

useful  to  him  throug^h  life  ;  and,  probably,  opened  the 
way  for  his  receiving,  a  few  years  before  his  death,  a 
call  to  undertake  the  pastoral  service,  there,  with  a 
provision  corresponding  with  the  wealth  and  liberality 
of  the  southern  people.  He  enjoyed  the  society  and 
kind  attentions  of  several  highly  accomplished,  pious 
and  excellent  families,  who  were  heard  to  speak  of  his 
visits  and  conversation,  in  terms  of  high  approbation  and 
satisfaction.  The  aniiable,  iitteMi^nt  ttn^  helsfveij^y 
miiixkd  consort^  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Keith,  of  that  city, 
took  a  deep  interest  in  Mr.  Finley,  invited  him  very 
frequently  and  affectionately  to  her  house,  enjoyed 
much  of  his  company,  and  bore  a  strong  and  pleasing 
testimony  in  favour  of  his  good  sense,  great  prudence, 
and  humble  piety,  at  this  early  period. 

A  few  extracts  from  a  very  brief  diary,  which  he  kept 
while  teaching  in  the  city  of  Charleston,  unquestionably 
for  his  own  exclusive  use,  will  serve  to  confirm  the  esti- 
mate of  his  piety,  made  by  his  friends  around  him,  and 
to  illustrate  further  his  religious  character,  at  this  time  : 

"November  28th,  ITOl. — As  I  began  school  this 
morning,  in  Charleston,  after  praising  God  for  preserv- 
ing mercy,  I  prayed  for  divine  assistance  in  my  whole 
duty;  for  the  spirit  of  grace  and  supplication;  for  re- 
pentance and  reformation  :  in  the  evening,  for  a  blessing 
on  the  Church,  and  my  Princeton  friends  in  particular ; 
to  be  preserved  from  the  corrupt  notions  and  fashions  of 
the  world  ;  and  to  live  altogether  to  the  glory  of  God, 
in  humility  and  godly  sincerity. 

"  30th. — Rose  between  six  and  seven,  thanked  God 
for  preserving  mercy,  prayed  for  the  presence  of  the 

*  Mrs.  Keith  was  a  daughter  of  the  venerable  Dr.  James  Sproat,  of  the  city 
af  Philadelphia. 


20  MEMOIRS  OP 

Lord  through  the  day,  for  much  of  his  love — after  break- 
fast, for  his  direction  in  the  business  of  the  day — at  noon, 
for  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  for  the  church 
-—for  the  same  at  night;  prayed  for  preparation  for  the 
table  of  the  Lord  ;  for  a  blessing  on  the  church,  and  the 
pardon  of  sin;  for  protection;  for  faith  and  humility; 
for  the  prosperity  of  Zion,  that  I  might  live  as  a  Chris- 
tian. 

"  December  1st. — T  got  up  after  six  and  blessed  God 
for  his  mercy  in  preserving  me  through  the  night ;  pray- 
ed to  be  guided  by  the  holy  Spirit,  for  help  to  discharge 
the  duties  of  the  day,  as  becomes  a  Christian — in  the 
evening  again  I  prayed  for  a  blessing  at  the  church  and 
on  the  church,  for  my  absent  friends,  that  the  Lord 
would  forgive  my  sins  and  show  me  them  forgiven,  that  I 
might  praise  him. 

*'  9th. — This  morning  I  returned  thanks  for  the  mercy 
of  the  night  past,  prayed  for  much  of  the  presence  of 
God  through  the  day. — After  breakfast,  prayed  for  wis- 
dom from  above  to  direct  me  in  all  things.  At  noon, 
in  the  evening  and  at  night,  prayed,  that  as  I  had  re- 
solved if  it  should  please  the  Lord  I  v\^ould  engage 
in  the  ministry,  I  might  not  be  drawn  from  it  by  the 
world  :  prayed  for  pardon  and  acceptance,  through  the 
blood  of  Jesus,  for  the  scholars  that  they  might  be  re- 
strained from  sin,  for  boldness  in  the  cause  of  Christ — 
did  at  no  time  forget  my  absent  friends  and  the  interest 
of  Zion. 

"Jan.  1,  1792.— Being  the  beginning  of  the  year,  I 
confessed  my  sins  and  prayed  for  pardon.  In  the  morn- 
ing was  very  unconcerned,  but  blessed  be  God  my 
heart  was  somewhat  warmed — renewed  engagements  to 
be  for  the  Lord.     Pride  struggling  much  in  my  heart 


I>R.  FINLEY.  21 

about  dress,  I  resolved  to  add  nothing  to  It  of  superflui- 
ties, as  powder,  ruffles,  nor  to  be  running  after  the  fash- 
ions, till  the  desire  of  them  should  arise  from  love  to 
God— and  if  1  dine  out  on  the  Sabbath,*  I  attend  the 
worship  of  God.     So  help.  Oh  I  Lord. 

u  2(1. — I  rose  about  seven  this  morning,  returned  thanks 
for  the  mercy  of  the  night  past,  prayed  for  the  divine  pres- 
ence throug]]  the  day,  prayed  six  times  to  be  cleansed 
from  my  sins,  for  all  my  friends  that  we  might  all  grow^ 
in  grace  and  be  comforted  by  the  indwelling  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

«  3d. — This  morning  felt  in  a  good  frame  of  mind,  but 
it  did  not  continue,  the  world  got  possession — wrote  a 
letter  to  my  brother  and  sister  on  the  subject  of  reli- 
gion. 

"  4th. — This  day  I  paid  a  visit  to  Mrs.  Tennent,  with 
whom  I  had  some  pleasant  religious  conversation — re- 
turned thanks  for  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  in  this  respect. 

**5th. — This  day  had  very  much  reason  to  complain 
of  vhe  absence  of  every  holy  afTection,  and  that  the 
world  had  taken  so  much  possession  of  my  whole  soul — 
prayed  to  be  delivered  from  all  this  and  to  have  my 
heart  renewed  and  every  heavenly  grace  implanted — 
Amen.     O  Lord. 


*  Dining  out  at  all  on  the  Sabbath  day,  may  be  thought  inconsistent  with  reii 
gious  duty  and  in  geuei  al  doubtless  is  so.  But  to  form  a  just  estimate  of  this  reso- 
lution, it  must  be  considered  that  Mr.  Finley  had  no  family,  whose  good  order 
might  be  interrupted  by  his  absence,  and  that  the  families  where  he  dined  were 
probably  of  a  religious  character  and  the  conversation  with  such  friends  would  be 
at  once  pleasing  and  profitable  :  and  that  be  here  made  it  a  fixed  point  that  this 
social  intercourse  should  not  prevent  his  attendance  on  divine  worship  in  the  after 
part  of  the  day  Probably,  longer  experience  and  more  reflection,  would  and  may 
have  changed  the  resolution  into  this — I  will  not  dine  out  on  the  Sabbath  unless 
called  to  it,  in  the  course  of  divine  providence  by  some  peculiar  and  evident  ue^ 
ccssity  or  duty. 


22  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  February  2. — I  prayed  much  to  be  prepared  for  the 
celebration  of  the  supper  of  the  Ivord,  to  liave  my  sins 
for2:iven  and  a  comfortable  assurance  of  ray  interest  in 
Christ  Jesus.  But  in  the  evening  through  attachment 
to  company  I  very  much  neglected  the  time  of  prayer. 

"3d. — Prayed  to  have  my  heart  prepared  for  every 
duty,  but  still  there  was  much  folly  in  me,  and  I  got  no 
comfort  from  the  word  of  God.  May  the  Lord  have 
mercy  on  me ! 

"  4th. — I  prayed  this  day  much  for  the  Holy  Spirit  of 
God  to  direct  me  and  to  prepare  me  to  sit  at  his  table- 
visited  Mr.  Hollingshead,  and  blessed  be  God,  in  con- 
versation, enjoyed  much  satisfaction  about  religion — 
confessed  my  sins,  unbelief,  dislike  to  duty,  wandering 
thoughts,  hardness  of  heart,  want  of  love  to  God,  sinful 
passions,  neglect  of  the  scriptures,  pled  for  pardon  through 
Jesus — laid  my  wants  and  necessities  before  the  Lord, 
and  prayed  to  have  them  supplied  from  his  fulness. 

^«  5th. — This  day  I  sat  to  commemorate  the  dying  love 
of  Jesus  at  his  table — confessed  my  sins,  and  I  trust  had 
them  forgiven,  and  had  my  heart  somewhat  inflamed 
with  divine  love,  and  felt  desirous  for  the  glory  of  God. 
Took  comfort  from  Heb. — *  For  ye  are  not  come  to 
Mount  Sinai',  &c.  The  Lord  was  very  merciful  to  me, 
and  blessed  be  his  name  forever.     Amen. 

"August  20,  1792. — I  was  somewhat  earnest  in  pray- 
er to  day  for  the  destruction  of  sin  and  for  the  quicken- 
ing of  languishing  graces  :  yet  in  the  evening  indulged 
lively  and  too  many  loose  thoughts  mingled  with  pious 
desires.     Oh  Lord  transform  me  into  thine  image. 

"23d. — I  went  to  society  and  being  there  put  to  pray- 
er, I  was  at  a  loss  till  the  Lord  gave  me  words  and  he 
gave  just  as  I  had  need. 


DR.     FINLEY.  23 

"  25th. — T  attended  upon  religious  duties  with  much 
pleasure  to  day,  and  I  hope  with  some  profit. 

"26th. —  I  spent  this  Sabbath  with  much  satisfaction, 
and  in  earnest  prayer  for  my  soul  and  for  the  kingdom 
of  Zion :  yet  there  was  some  folly  mixed  withal.  O 
Lord  I  am  vile. 

"  27th. — I  felt  grateful  to  day  for  mercies,  but  through 
much  of  it,  religion  was  dull.  Oh  Lord,  if  not  for  thy 
mercy  T  am  undone  forever. 

"September  2L — I  spent  this  morning  in  reading  and 
a  form  of  prayer,  but  my  mind  was  full  of  the  world  : 
yet  I  trust  I  was  a  little  strengthened  by  the  morning 
sermon.  The  afternoon,  however,  would  condemn  me, 
had  I  never  lived  another.  I  was  truly  dreadfully  stu- 
pid, unconcerned  and  hard  hearted.  Nothing  but  free 
grace  can  save  me. 

"  22,  23,  24. — These  three  days  were  much  like  all  the 
rest  of  my  life,  full  of  sin  and  great  iniquity,  the  spirit  truly 
warring  against  the  flesh  and  the  flesh  against  the  Spirit, 
and  the  latter  with  but  too  much  success. 

"  26th. — This  day  was  to  me  much  more  pleasant  than 
yesterday.  There  were  many  seasons  in  which  my  soul 
cried  out  for  God  :  but  my  heart  was  full  of  anxiety  and 
tossings,   with  respect  to  the  world  and  my  returning 

home.    It  pleased  the  Lord  to  bring  Mr.  S to  see 

me  a  few  minutes,  that  my  heart  might  be  stirred." 

The  preceding  extracts  from  several  successive 
months  of  Mr.  Finley's  diary,  during  the  time  spent  at 
Charleston,  manifest  a  deep,  humble  and  uniform  sense 
of  sin, and  guilt — a  constant  and  vigilant  attention  to  his 
inmost  thoughts  and  exercises  of  mind — a  disposition  to 
deny  himself  and  to  resist  the  fashions  and  the  allure- 
ments of  the  world — a  thorough  persuasion  of  entire  de- 


24  MEMOIRS  OF 

pendence  upon  God  for  all  good  things  and  ardent  desires 
after  his  communion  and  likeness — a  spirit  and  habit  of 
prayer  and  supplication  for  personal  sanctification,  and 
for  the  prosperity  of  religion  in  the  world.  The  whole 
is  expressed  in  that  simple  manner  which  was  natural  to 
him. 

Having  resolved  to  devote  himself  to  the  service  of 
God  in  the  ministry  of  his  Son,  he  became  very  desirous 
now,  of  placing  himself  in  a  situation  where  he  could 
more  successfully  prosecute  the  studies  preparatory  to 
that  sacred  office.  For  this  purpose  in  the  Autumn  of 
1792,  he  relinquished  his  lucrative  and  laborious  station 
in  Charleston  ;  returned  to  his  native  place  ;  resumed 
the  instruction  of  the  grammar  school  in  Princeton  ;  and 
commenced  the  study  of  theology  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  the  venerable  President^  of  Nassau  Hall. 
His  age  and  maturity,  his  classical  accuracy  and  general 
improvement,  had  now  become  such,  that  he  advanced 
with  uncommon  facility  and  advantage,  in  the  course 
prescribed  by  his  judicious  and  distinguished  theological 
instructor. 

Mr.  Finley's  peculiar  capacity  for  the  government 
and  instruction  of  youth,  having  been  rendered  striking- 
ly manifest,  he  was  very  soon  transferred,  with  univer- 
sal approbation,  from  the  grammar  school,  to  the  office 
of  tutor  in  college.  This  promotion  was  effected  through 
the  united  influence  of  Dr.  Witherspoon,  president  of 

*  It  was  a  happy  circumstance  in  the  order  of  providence,  that  he  was  enabled 
to  enjoy  the  instructions  of  Dr.  Witherspoon,  a  philosopher  and  divine,  probably, 
inferior  to  no  man,  in  regard  to  accurate,  profound  and  extensive  views,  on  every 
subject  of  theology  and  ecclesiastical  history,  of  civil  government  and  human  life. 


DR.  FINLEV.  '25 

the  college,  and  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  S.  Smith,*=  vice- 
president,  upon  whom  the  chief  management  of  the  insti- 
tution had  devolved,  in  consequence  of  the  advanced  age 
and  growing  infirmities  of  his  illustrious  father-in-law.  In 
the  capacity  of  tutor,  Mr.  Finley  continued  some  time, 
laboriously  discharging  the  duties  of  that  office,  and  close- 
ly applying  himself  to  the  several  subjects  and  exercises 
assigned  him,  as  a  student  of  theology.  In  this  arduous 
and  responsible  station,  his  vigilance  and  fidelity  render- 
ed him  both  popular  and  successful. 

Through  the  whole  of  this  period,  the  realities  of  re- 
ligion appear  to  have  exercised  a  powerful  influence 
over  his  feelings  and  views.  That  the  reader  may  judge 
of  the  state  of  his  mind,  a  few  extracts  from  his  diary, 
which  was  continued  at  this  time,  will  here  be  inserted. 
The  record  does  not  ascertain  the  particular  year  in 
which  it  was  written,  but  exhibits  satisfactory  internal 
evidence,  that  it  was  made  while  he  was  tutor  in  college. 

"September  1st. — This  day  was  another  Sabbath.  It 
pleased  God  that  I  heard  a  sermon,  from  Psalm  xcii.  12 
— '  Teach  me  so  to  number  my  days,'  S:c.  which  was 
the  means  of  warming  my  affections,  and  raising  my  de- 
sires after  God.  I  felt  my  misery,  that  I  am  so  chained 
down,  and  so  easily  engaged  in  every  vanity  and  folly. 

"  2d. — I  was  engaged  in  hard  study  ;  wrote  part  of  a 
sermon,  during  which  time  my  heart  was  warmed  and 
engaged.  Prayer  seemed  pleasant,  and  I  frequently 
sent  ejaculations;  conversed  a  while  with  Mr.  H — ~, 
and  said  to  him  what  I  could 


*  Mr.  Finley  was  frequently  heard  to  speak,  with  peculiar  satisfaction,  of  the 
important  advantages  he  derived  in  the  latter  part  of  his  term  of  study,  from  the 
instruction  and  attention  of  Dr.  Smith,  who  was  then  fast  approaching  the  meri- 
dian of  hi3  usefulness  and  splendour. 

4 


26  MEMOIRS  OF 

*^  3d. — Was  very  much  engaged  in  study,  and  also 
my  mind  was  pleased  in  religious  exercises,  though  I  have 
it  too  much  to  lament,  that  I  cannot  love  the  Lord  more, 
and  serve  him  with  a  more  aniaiated  zeal. 

"  4th. — Thought  early  of  God  and  religion  this  morn- 
ing,  even  at  rising.  Studied  hard,  and  with  success,  un- 
til breakfast ;  shortly  after,  was  shocked  with  a  report 
that  a  young  acquaintance,  F.  Stone,  was  hurried  un- 
timely to  the  tomb,  by  a  contagious  disease  ;^  which 
ought  to  have  made  me  tremble ;  at  length,  however,  it 
set  me  to  prayer,  that  my  evidences  might  be  brighten- 
ed for  eternity,  and  I  prepared  to  go,  if  called. 

"  5th. — I  prayed  often  and  earnestly  to-day,  that  I 
might  have  my  evidences  brightened  for  eternity.  A 
few  of  us  met  and  united  in  prayer,  that  the  destroying 
angel  might  be  stopped,  and  the  plague  arrested  in  its 
course,  and  that  it  might  be  well  with  me. 

"  6th,  8th. — My  mind  was  much  taken  up  with  my  pros- 
pects, these  days.  I  thought  it  probable  I  should  die 
immediately,  and  prayed  earnestly  that  my  views  might 
be  made  clear  for  eternity. 

*'9th. — I.  was  still  anxious,  lest  I  should  be  infected 
with  this  fatal  disease,  and  I  prayed  earnestly,  that  I 
might  be  prepared  for  death,  whenever  it  should  appear. 

*  This  contagious  disease  was  tlie  yellow  fever,  which  appeared  in  Philadel- 
phia, for  the  first  time,  afttr  a  long  interval,  in  August,  1793.  In  the  course  of 
about  three  months,  in  that  year,  this  dreadful  disease  swept  ofFnearly  five  thou- 
sand of  the  inhabitants  of  that  city,  was  generally  considered  as  extremely  infec- 
tious, and  spread  the  utmost  alarm  over  the  continent.  In  this  year  occurred 
the  case  to  which  Mr.  Finley  refers  in  his  diary.  Mr.  F.  Stone,  a  young  gentle- 
man from  the  south,  wlio  had  been  in  the  college,  having  been  engaged  in  the 
study  of  law  in  Philadelphia,  during  the  prevalence  of  the  fever,  came  on  to 
Princeton,  was  taken  ill,  and  soon  died.  The  disease  was  then  considered  as  a 
sort  of  plague,  and  several  of  the  students  had  had  intercourse  with  Mr.  Stone 
\n  his  illness,  without  being  aware  of  the  nature  of  his  disease  at  the  time. 


DR.  FINLEY.  iLi 

*'  10th,  11th. — I  was  by  no  means  so  much  engaged 
these  days,  either  in  study  or  religion,  being  exceeding- 
ly hindered  in  my  room  by  company.  On  Wednesday, 
however,  I  had  a  very  serious  and  profitable  conversation 

with  Mr.  C.  S ,  and  on  the  eleventh,   with  Mr.  R. 

Russel,  upon  the  necessity  of  keeping  close  to  our  duty, 
wherever  we  may  be,  and  discovering  to  each  other  the 
fallacy  of  our  excuses,  and  the  unreasonableness  of  our 
neglect,  as  it  arises  from  want  of  resolution,  or  from 
coldness. 

"  12th. — This  day  was  not  a  profitable  day  to  me  : 
my  mind  was  too  much  impressed  with  some  of  the  af- 
fairs of  life,  so  that  I  forgot  our  meeting  on  Thursday 
evening. 

"  13th, — Was  a  pleasant  day  to  me;  my  mind  was  in 
a  calm  and  heavenly  state ;  all  seemed  to  be  peace  and 
harmony,  and  prayer  w^as  much  my  delight. 

"  There  was  but  little  variation  in  the  state  of  my 

mind ;  and  though  I  prayed  earnestly  at  the  times  of 
prayer,  yet  my  mind  through  the  day  was  either  enga- 
ged about  the  w^orld,  or  possessed  with  a  languor,  and 
too  much  stupidity.  In  the  evening  I  retired  with  my 
friend  Mr.  Russel,  to  the  wood,  where  however  I  did 
not  enjoy  much  of  the  presence  of  God,  as  I  fear. 

"My  mind  was  anxiously  engaged  in  the  law^ful 

pursuits  of  the  world,  which  however  became  unlawful 
by  excessive  application,  so  that  my  mind  seemed  to 
forget  that  I  was  made  for  immortality.  The  cares  of 
office  engrossed  much  attention  in  the  night. 

"  It  w^as  a  good  day  for  me,  and  I  w^as  enabled  to 

rejoice ;  the  sermon  was  blessed  to  me,  in  the  evening, 
and  at  society  in  college,  I  had  engagedness  of  mind,  and 


28  MEMOIRS  OF 

was  enabled  in  some  measure  to  forget  the  world,  and 
desire  to  live  unto  the  glory  of  God  alone. 

'^  19th. — My  mind  was  still  engaged  in  religion,  though 
not  so  much  as  yesterday.  I  was  perplexed  and  trou- 
bled about  my  business  in  the  college. 

"  20th. — Was  convicted  to  day  of  calling  on  God  only, 
or  chiefly,  when  surrounded  with  trouble.  My  soul 
began  to  groan  to  return  to  its  rest,  but  could  do  nothing 
more  than  groan ;  could  get  no  clear  views  of  the  evil 
of  sin,  of  the  holiness  of  God,  or  of  my  own  need  of  sal- 
vation. Felt  a  grievous  loss,  and  knew  it  was  the  pre- 
sence of  the  Lord,  but  could  not  find  my  way  to  him 
again. 

*^'  My  heart  was  pained  this  morning,  for  the  ab- 
sence of  Him  alone  who  can  comfort  the  soul:  I  was  of- 
ten engaged  in  prayer,  but  seemed  not  to  feel ;  but  in  the 
afternoon,  in  conversation,  my  heart  grew  warm,  and  I 
enjoyed  m3^self  considerably. 

"  This  day  being  the  Sabbath,  I  prayed  that  God 

would  manifest  himself  unto  his  people  ;  that  his  power 
in  converting  souls  might  be  felt :  prayed  particularly 
for  those  who  had  in  any  measure  been  awakened  at 
Princeton  lately ;  that  they  might  be  brought  on  in  the 
heavenly  road.  At  sermon  my  thoughts  were  too  much 
wandering.  Prayed  in  the  evening  for  the  rising  gene- 
ration; read  an  account  of  great  conversions  in  New- 
England,  by  which  my  heart  was  somewhat  warmed.— 
Blessed  be  the  Lord." 

On  the  16th  day  of  September,  A.  D.  1794,  and  in  the 
twenty-fourth  year  of  his  age,  Mr.  Finley  was  licensed 
to  preach  the  gospel,  by  the  Presbytery  of  New-Bruns- 
wick, under  whose  care  he  had  prosecuted  and  comple- 
ted his  trial-studies.     He  entered  the  ministry  at  a  suita- 


DR.    FINLEY.  29 

ble  age  ;  and  commenced  public  life  with  some  peculiar 
advantages.  The  business  of  teaching,  to  which  he  de- 
voted so.  considerable  a  portion  of  time,  after  leaving 
college,  was  followed,  immediately,  by  many  important 
benefits*  and  produced  results  very  useful  to  hin^, 
through  his  whole  life. — His  knowledge  of  human  na- 
ture, was,  by  these  micans  greatly  enlarged ! — his  acquaint- 
ance with  prominent  characters  and  human  life,  consid- 
erably extended  : — his  scholarship  improved  and  illus- 
trated : — his  vigor  of  mind  and  habits  of  application 
strengthened : — a  practical  talent  was  thus  early  ac- 
quired : — and  his  whole  character  was  in  a  considerable 
degree  formed  and  established. 

Mr.  Finley  spent  a  few  months  after  licensure,  in 
preaching  to  the  congregations,  within  the  bounds  of  the 
Presbytery  of  New-Brunswick,  and  especially  to  those 
destitute  of  pastors.  At  the  stated  meeting  of  Presbyte- 
ry, in  April  1 795,  the  vacant  congregation  of  Basking 
Kidge,  which  had  shared  his  visits  and  services,  through 
the  preceding  winter,  presented  a  call  for  his  pastoral 
labors,  and  urgently  solicited  him  to  undertake  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  among  them.  The  call  being 
found  in  due  form,  was  put  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Finley, 
who  declared  his  acceptance  of  it.  According  to  previ- 
ous appointment,  the  Presbytery  met  at  Basking  Ridge 
on  the  16th  day  of  June  1795,  and  on  the  following  day, 
solemnly  ordained  him  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  minis- 
try by  prayer  and  the  imposition  of  hands,  and  installed 
him  pastor  of  that  congregation.  The  ordination  ser- 
mon was  preached  by  the  Rev.  James  F.  Armstrong  :f 

*  See  Note  B. 

f  For  a  sketch  of  the  Rev.  J.  F,  Arnistrong's  character  see  Note  C. 


oO  MEMOIRS  OF 

the  Rev.  Gilbert  T.  Snowden^  presided  in  the  laying 
on  of  the  hands  of  the  Pi'eshytery  : — and  a  solemn  'and 
impressive  charge  to  the  newly  ordained  pastor  and  to 
the  conf^regation  assembled,  was  delivered  by  the  Rev. 
Joseph  Clark.f 

The  congregation  at  Basking  Ridge,  embracing  a  dis- 
trict of  country,  about  ten  miles  square,  and  quite  thick- 
ly populated — presented  a  field  for  ministerial  labours, 
extensive  and  arduous.  But  the  pastor, J  whom  they 
had  chosen,  was  adapted,  in  a  peculiar  manner,  to  their 
circumstances  and  character  :  and  the  event  has  prov- 
ed that  he  was  sent  to  them  in  *'  the  fulness  of  the  bles- 
sing of  the  gospel.'*  The  congregation,  having  been 
vacant  for  a  considerable  number  of  j^ears,  in  conse- 
quence of  unhappy  dissentions  which  existed  in  its  bo- 
som, had  experienced  a  great  dearth  of  the  word  and  or- 
dinances of  God,  and  become  weary  of  their  destitute 
and  afflicted  condition.  This,  together  with  a  recollec- 
tion, still  lively  in  the  minds  of  many,  of  the  advanta- 
ges formerly  enjoyed,  under  the  ministry  of  the  pious 
and  venerable  Mr.  Kennedy,^  filled  the  hearts  of  the 

*  For  a  brief  view  of  Rev.  Mr.  Snowden,  see  Note  D. 

t  See  a  sketch  of  Dr.  Clark,  Note  E. 

t  The  following;  anecdote,  which  has  been  obligingly  furnished,  relates  to  a 
subject  of  great  importance,  and  appears  calculated  to  be  useful ; — For  some  time 
after  Mr.  Finley's  settlement  at  Basking  Ridge,  he  boarded  with  one  of  the 
members  of  the  session  of  this  church,  who  was  a  very  serious  and  judicious  man. 
"  Mr.  Fioley  arose  very  early  one  morning,  saddled  his  horse,  and  was  just  starts 
ingto  attend  some  appointment,  when  the  elder  asked  him  if  he  was  going  before 
morning  prayers— Mr.  Finley  said  he  believed  so.  The  elder  replied,  he  mighj 
stand  in  need  of  them  before  night.  The  reproof  was  seasonable.  Mr.  Finley 
returned  and  went  to  prayer,  and  often  said,  the  admonition  came  sensibly  home 
to  him,  and  had  an  operating  influence  on  his  life." 

5  For  some  observations  respecting  this  highly  respectable  father  in  the  church 
sfe  Note  F. 


DR.  FINLEY.  SI 

intelligent  and  reflecting  people,  with  great  desire,  to 
enjoy  again  the  stated  means  of  grace.  And  consider- 
ing the  painful  disagreement,  and  utter  unsuccessfulness 
which  had  attended,  some  former  attempts,  to  realize 
this  great  Christian  privilege,  it  was  esteemed  a  propi- 
tious circumstance,  and  a  token  of  divine  approbation^ 
that  great  unanimity  and  satisfaction  prevailed,  among 
this  numerous  people,  in  the  choice  of  a  pastor  which 
had  now  been  made.  His  manner  of  preaching  from  the 
beginning,  was  peculiarly  plain  and  edifying,  and  in  a 
considerable  degree,  dignified  and  earnest. 

He  commenced  his  ministry  and  continued  in  the 
practice  of  writing  his  sermons,  until  unexpected  and 
frequent  calls,  to  preach  and  to  perform  pastoral  service, 
compelled  him  gradually  to  dispense  with  this  labour 
and  at  length  to  relinquish  the  use  of  written  discourses 
altogether.  The  congregation  manifested  peculiar  re- 
spect and  attention  to  the  character  and  ministry  of  their 
pastor :  and  his  labours  very  soon  were  followed  by  a 
visible  improvement,  in  the  state  of  the  church  and  in 
the  manners  of  the  people. 

In  May  1798,  Mr.  Finley  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Esther  Caldwell,  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  James 
Caldwell^  who  was  for  twenty  years  the  zealous  and  be- 
loved Pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  congregation  at  Eliza- 
beth-Town, New-Jersey. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Finley's  settlement  at  Basking  Ridge, 
he  was  induced  to  undertake  the  instruction  of  a  small 
number  of  boys,  some  of  Avhom  were  to  be  prepared  for 
business,  the  greater  part  for  college.  Thus  was  laid 
the  foundation  of  aschool,  which  became  permanent,  and 

*  For  a  Biographical  view  oftliig  highly  respectable  minister  of  the  Gosppl.  se^ 
Vote  G. 


32  MEMOIRS  OF 

which  for  popularity,  usefulness  and  real  excellence  dur- 
ing twenty  years,  it  is  believed  has  been  surpassed  by  no 
classical  seminary,  on  this  continent.  In  the  commence- 
ment ofthis  business,  Mr.  Finley  contemplated  principal- 
ly giving-  agreeable  and  useful  employment  to  that  por- 
tion of  his  time  which  he  could  spare  from  more  sacred 
duties  and  the  gratification  of  a  (ew  respectable  Indi- 
vid uals,"*  at  whose  request  it  was  undertaken,  without 
embracing  in  his  view  the  extent  to  which  it  was  car- 
ried or  the  length  of  time  which  it  was  continued. 
His  small  company  of  pupils  consisting  of  about  ten, 
were  taught  at  first  for  some  time,  in  a  part  of  his 
own  dwelling  house.  After  the  room  thus  occupied  be- 
came too  small,  a  convenient  building  was  erected  by 
the  neighbourhood  for  the  accommodation  of  the  grow- 
ing number  of  scholars,  and  after  a  (ew  years,  when  the 
increased  collection  of  students  demanded  still  more 
room,  a  capacious  and  sightly  edifice  was  built,  in  part, 
at  his  own  private  expense,  but  principally,  by  means 
of  liberal  contributions,  from  a  number  of  intelligent, 
wealthy  and  public  spirited  gentlemen,  residing  in  the 
city  of  New-York. 

Several  circumstances  conduced  to  the  success  ofthis 
institution.  It  was  put  in  operation  at  a  time  when 
grammar  schools  were  less  numerous  in  the  state  of 
New-Jersey  than  at  present.  Mr.  Finley  admitted  a  con- 
siderable number  of  the  youth  into  his  own  family,  near 
his  person,  and  under  his  constant  observation.     From 

*  The  most  conspicuous  of  these  j^entlemen  were  Dr.  George  Logan  of  German 
Town,  Pennsylvania,  who  committed  to  Mr.  Finley  at  first  two  sons,  afterwards  a 
third,  CgI.  Jolm  Bayard  of  New- Brunswick,  who  placed  a  grand  son  under  his 
care:  Hon.  Henry  Southard,  Mr  Alexander  Kirkpatrick,  Mr  Lind^ly  and  a 
few  others  members  of  his  congregation,  who  increased  the  number  and  impor- 
fance  of  the  school  by  adding  to  it,  each  a  son. 


DR.    FINLEY.  33 

Mr.  Kennedy's  having  superintended  a  similar  institu- 
tion, in  the  same  place,  the  people  had  become  sensible 
of  the  advantages  of  such  an  establishment  to  the  neigh- 
bourhood, and  disposed  to  encourage  the  seminary,  and 
to  facilitate  all  its  operations.  The  situation  was  es- 
teemed healthful,  and  the  terms  of  accommodation,  were 
made  reasonable.  In  addition  to  these  circumstances, 
Mr.  Finley's  thorough  experience  and  established  repu- 
tation, as  a  teacher  and  disciplinarian,  strongly  attract- 
ed the  public  attention  and  confidence.  The  impres- 
sion which  he  had  recently  made  in  Charleston,  South 
Carolina,  while  teaching  there,  induced  many  wealthy 
and  respectable  citizens  in  that  region  to  entrust  their 
children  to  his  able  instruction  and  faithful  guardian- 
ship. 

From  Virginia  and  Maryland,  gentlemen  of  distinc- 
tion furnished  him  with  many  agreeable  and  promising 
students.  But  in  general,  during  its  last  years  his  school 
was  composed  of  boys  from  the  cities  of  New-York  and 
Philadelphia,  and  from  his  native  state.  The  aggregate 
of  scholars  in  this  institution,  was  often  very  great,  for 
years  in  succession.  The  number  of  its  pupils  original- 
ly restricted  to  twenty-five,  sometimes  exceeded  forty. 
So  far  did  the  applications  for  admission  surpass  the  ca- 
pacity for  accommodation,  that  the  institution  might  just- 
ly have  been  denominated  a  "  select  school." 

Mr.  Finley  superintended  the  institution  with  great 
fidelity,  and  personally  inspected  with  vigilance  all  its 
ordinary  operations  from  its  first  establishment  till  his  re- 
moval* from  Basking  Ridge. 

*  The  labors  of  his  extensive  pastoral  charge— his  disposition  for  quiet  un- 
interrupted  study— his  agricultural  predilection,  and  especially  the  trouble  and 
anxiety  to  himself  and  faaaily,  arising  from  bo  much  attention  to  the  school!— 

5 


34  MEMOIRS  OF 

It  was  his  practice,  for  many  years,  to  spend  some 
hours,  generally  in  the  morning  of  every  day,  in  the 
academy,  directing  the  studies  of  the  youth  and  as- 
sisting the  tutor  in  ail  his  labours.  Being  himself  ac- 
complished as  a  scholar,  energetic  in  all  his  move- 
ments, possessing  a  peculiar  talent  to  forward  boyg 
rapidly  in  their  course  of  improvement,  and  his  as- 
sistants being  generally  selected  with  great  care,  and 
promptly  and  assiduously  taught  to  enter  into  his  views 
and  to  follow  his  example,  the  plan  of  education  pursued 
was  calculated  to  make  sound  classical  scholars,  and  to 
implant  in  the  pupils'  minds,  principles  and  habits  of  sub- 
ordination and  good  morals. 

On  account  of  the  acknowledged  pre-eminence  of  his 
capacity  for  government,  very  untractable  and  turbu- 
lent youth  were  at  times  committed  to  his  care,  for  the 
purpose  of  reformation  as  well  as  of  instruction.  This 
frequently  afforded  an  opportunity,  and  created  a  neces- 
sity for  the  exertion  of  all  his  masterly  powers.  The 
insidious  and  artful  could  not  escape  his  deep,  persever- 
ing and  irresistible  scrutinies.  The  most  hidden  disor- 
ders and  crimes,  he  would,  by  some  means,*  detect  and 

from  necessary  responsibility  to  the  public  for  its  success — from  participating  in 
its  daily  instruction  and  care : — and  from  boarding  a  considerable  number  of  the 
scholars,  made  him  ardently  wish  at  one  period,  to  withdraw  from  that  charge. 
Accordingly,  by  his  invitation  and  request  the  management  of  the  seminary  was 
transferred  to  Mr.David  English,  a  gentleman  of  ara'able  manners  and  fine  scholar- 
•hip,  who,  for  a  few  years  conducted  the  affairs  of  the  institution  in  a  very  reputa- 
ble manner.  After  Mr.  English  retired  from  this  laborious  occupation  and  re- 
turned to  Georgetown,  where  he  had  before  resided,  the  whole  weight  of  the 
academic  establishment  devolved  again  on  Mr.  Finley. 

*  In  one  instance  considerable  mischief  had  been  committed,  at  night,  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  village.  A  small  house  had  been  stoned,  some  of  its  glass  broken, 
and  its  inhabitants  very  much  frightened.  No  charge  was  alleged  against  any 
particular  individual.  It  was  not  even  perfectly  certain,  that  a  student  of  the  acad- 


DR.  FINLEY.  35 

bring  to  light,  often  to  the  astonishment  of  the  perpetra- 
tors. 

Nudavit,  coeciimque  domus  seel  us  omhe,  retexit. 

His  disposition  and  manners,  towards  the  studious  and 
amiable,  were  kind,  condescending  and  affectionate,  be- 
yond expression,  lie  would  sometimes  enter  into  free 
and  familiar  conversation  with  them,  on  various  common 
topics.  In  his  walking  excursions  over  his  farm  and 
through  the  contiguous  parts  of  the  congregation,  he 
would  invite  some  one  or  more  of  the  youth,  at  leisure 
seasons,  to  accompany  him.  On  the  way,  he  sometimes 
exercised  the  accompanying  pupil,  by  proposing  English 
sentences  to  be  Latinized,  or  false  Latin  to  be  rectified. 
This  kind  of  treatment  w^els  very  useful  to  the  scholar, 
and  it  attached  him  exceedingly  to  his  teacher.  But 
the  idle,  the  insubordinate  and  the  vicious,  he  treated  with 
rigour,  sometimes  amounting  to  real  harshness  and  seve- 
rity ;  according  to  the  good  old  Persian  and  classical  sys- 
tem— KXx6f4MTt  ft£v  ye  xxt  7coc7ep<;  vtciq  Ta(p^oTvvi}y  fttj^xvavrxiKcct 

His  aspect  was  naturally  stern  and  commanding ;  and 
he  could  assume  a  countenance,  voice  and  manner  trulj^ 

emy  had  been  concerned  in  the  transaction.  Mr.  Pinley,  however,  when  inform- 
ed of  the  circumstances,  determined  to  ascertain  who  had  perpetrated  the  deed. 
In  a  silent,  and  unobserved  manner,  and  with  much  address,  he  made  all  possible 
search  and  continued  his  investigation  for  several  days.  No  evidence,  direct  or 
circumstantial,  that  would  criminate  any  one,  could  he  collect.  Yet  he  thought  he 
knew  the  characters  of  the  citizens  and  of  his  students  so  well  that  he  could  tell  who 
had  done  the  mischief,  and  he  re.«iolved  on  this  ground  to  pursue  the  following  course 
Id  the  afternoon  of  a  subsequent  day  he  attended  in  the  academy,  and  towards 
the  close  of  the  business  of  the  day.  passing  near  the  boy  he  suspected,  he  stooped 
down  and  whispered  in  his  ear — *'  If  you  go  to  night  and  repair  the  damages  done 
to  that  house  the  other  evening,  making  proper  acknowledgments  to  the  people 
who  live  in  it,  nothing  further  will  be  done  in  the  business."  The  fellow  was 
perfectly  amazed,  made  no  reply,  but  as  soon  as  the  school  was  dismissed,  per- 
formed what  was  demanded,  and  the  affair  was  settled. 


36  MEMOIRS  OF 

terrific.  He  often  presented  himself  to  the  indolent  and 
refractory,  with  a  dark  and  menacing  contour — w^rt 
hiKee^.  It  was  his  uniform  determination  to  accomplish 
what  he  attempted  in  regard  to  every  youth  committed 
to  him,  to  make  him  a  scholar  and  a  good  boy  if  practi- 
cable, in  the  most  easy  and  agreeable  manner,  peacea- 
bly if  possible,  energetically  if  necessary.* 

The  general  system  of  discipline  he  pursued,  was  en- 
forced among  the  whole  mass  of  the  pupils  with  great 
uniformity  and  impartiality.  No  scholar  was  exempted 
from  his  regular  duties,  or  permitted  to  pass  without  the 
just  punishment  of  his  offences,  from  foolish  favouritism  or 
low  policy,  nor  were  any  punished  through  caprice  or  pas- 
sion. The  government  was  not  sometimes  relaxed  into 
injurious  indulgence,  and  sometimes  screwed  up  into  ill- 
judged  strictness,  but  conducted  with  a  firm  and  steady 
hand.  This  impartiality  and  uniformity  did  not,  howev- 
er, prevent  his  employing  a  variety  of  methods  to  effect 
his  purposes  with  the  same  or  different  individuals,  at  the 
same  time,  or  at  various  periods.  On  the  contrary,  in 
answer  to  the  question,  "What  ways  do  you  make  use 
of  in  your  school?"  he  once  replied — "all  ways  sir." 
By  this  reply  he  intended  no  doubt,  that  he  employed 
all  the  variety  of  methods,  which  reflection  suggested, 
or  experience  pointed  out,  and  which  his  judgment  ap- 
proved, to  spur  on  the  indolent,  check  the  presuming, 
and  subdue  the  refractory,  to  interest  the  dull,  animate 
the  desponding  and  encourage  the  timid — to  awaken 
emulation,  to  cherish  right  dispositions  and  confirm  good 
habits.     He  made  use  of  great  exertion  and  care,  to  im- 

*  \fter  a  considerable  exercise  of  discipline  among  the  boys  in  the  academy, 
at  a  certain  liiue,  Mr.  Finley  humorously  observed  to  a  friend—"  They  mil  find 
out  after  all  that  I  wont  quite  kill  them," 


DR.    FINLEY^.  37 

part  to  his  pupils,  correct  ideas  and  impress'ons  of  mor- 
als and  religfion,  and  to  render  them  judicious  and  order- 
ly, in  their  manners  and  deportme.it.  A  determination 
to  bestow  particular  attention  on  this  branch  of  educa- 
tion, was  manifested  by  him  at  an  early  period  m  the  pro- 
gress of  his  seminary.  During-  the  last  ten  years  of  its 
operation,  more  especially,  he  reduced  his  views  and 
regulations  on  this  subject,  to  perfect  system,  and  uni- 
formly assigned  to  the  scholars  at  the  close  of  the  week, 
a  religious  exercise,  to  occupy  their  attention,  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  to  be  exhibited,  on  the  evening  of  the 
Lord's  day,  or  at  the  opening  of  school  the  next  Mon- 
day morning.  The  nature  and  extent  of  this  religious 
study,  varied  with  the  age,  improvement  and  capacity 
of  the  pupil.  Some  w^ere  required  to  learn  the  Catechism. 
But  the  greater  part  recited  on  prescribed  portions  of 
the  word  of  God.*     At  the  same  time,  Mr.  Finley  watch- 

*  The  facility,  propriety,  and  advantage,  with  which  Ihe  Bible  may  be  intro- 
duced into  academies  and  boarding  schools,  both  male  and  female,  as  a  Sunday 
study,  to  be  recited  Sabbath  evenings,  or  Monday  mornings,  are  so  obvious,  that 
teachers,  superintendents,  and  trustees  of  all  institutions  of  this  kind,  ought 
without  delay,  to  make  this  a  fundamental  regulation  and  indispensable  observ- 
ance. The  youth,  who  assemble  in  these  seminaries,  are  those  in  general,  wh« 
are  destined  to  fill  high  and  influential  stations  in  society,  who  from  their  educa- 
tion, rank  and  employment,  are  likely  to  have  a  material  agency  in  formimr  the 
opinions  and  regulating  the  manners  of  others  and  of  establishing  in  a  considera- 
ble degree,  the  general  character  of  society.  The  plan  commonly  pursued  in 
such  institutions,  of  assigning  on  Saturday,  only  the  usual  lesson  for  Monday 
morning,  leaves  the  pupil  at  entire  discretion,  witli  regard  to  the  subject  which  is 
to  occupy  his  thoughts  on  the  Sabbath,  excepting  only  the  short  period,  to  be  spent 
at  church.  With  far  the  greater  part  of  youth,  this  is  a  certain  and  immense  sac- 
rifice of  precious  and  sacred  time  Taking  into  view  the  extent  of  the  period, 
usually  spent  in  acquiring  the  elements  of  an  education  in  any  literay  establish- 
ment, one  lesson  each  week,  or  some  chapters  of  the  Bible,  could  not  fail  to  secure 
to  every  scholar,  of  ordinary  capacity  and  application,  a  most  valuable  acquaint- 
ance with  biblical  history  and  evangelic  truth  in  general.  What  a  vastly  import- 
ant addition  is  this  to  the  instructions  usually  communicated  in  private  and  public 


38  MEMOIRS   OF 

ed  and  observed,  as  far  as  possible,  the  private  conduct 
of  his  boys,  and  frequently  took  opportunities,  to  coun- 
sel and  direct  such  of  them,  as  appeared  to  him,  not  de- 
serving of  censure,  but  in  need  of  paternal  caution  and 
advice  in  regard  to  their  moral  deportment. 

On  the  whole,  this  institution  was  highly  respectable, 
and  very  extensively  useful.  A  considerable  number  of 
men,  from  several  states  in  the  union,  who  received  the 
elements  of  their  education  in  its  bosom,  are  pursuing 
professional  occupations,  and  filling  distinguished  sta- 
tions in  society,  promising  increasing  honour  to  this  sem- 
inary, and  to  the  name  of  its  founder,  reputation  to  them- 
selves, and  usefulness  to  their  country. 

Important  benefits  began  immediately  to  result  from 
Mr.  Finley's  ministerial  labours  at  Basking  Ridge.  Old 
divisions  and  animosities  disappeared,  and  the  people 
became  of  one  heart  and  one  mind.  Habits  of  attending 
closely  and  seriously  on  the  public  and  stated  means  of 
grace,  were  revived.  The  congregation  began  to  im- 
prove in  gospel  knowledge  and  discipline.  Through 
the  divine  blessing,  pleasing  additions  were  made  to  the 
church,  from  year  to  year.  A  general  amelioration  was 
visible,  in  the  whole  aspect  of  society.  And  a  way  ap- 
peared to  have  been  thus  prepared,  through  the  super- 
intending care  and  gracious  influence  of  God,  for  that 
peculiar  and  joyful  visitation  of  power  and  mercy,  "  from 
the  presence  of  the  Lord,"  which  was  experienced  there 

semioaries  !  When  we  consider  also  the  moral  improvement  which  ordinarily 
accompanies  or  proceeds  from  the  acquirement  of  sound  Christian  knowledge — 
how  interesting  does  this  subject  become  !— how  great  and  manifest  the  probable 
advantage  of  pursuing  this  course  !— how  pleasing  the  reflection  to  a  conscientious, 
faithful  teacher,  that  while  be  is  imparting  to  his  pupils  the  elements  of  human 
science,  he  is  furnishing  them  with  the  means  of  becoming,  through  the  blessing  of 
fiod,  nise  to  salvation. 


DR.  FINLEY.  39 

ill  the  eighth  year  of  Mr.  Finley's  ministry ;  producing 
most  precious  and  lasting  effects  among  that  people,  and 
lively  emotions  of  pleasure,  through  the  church  in  gen- 
eral, in  every  part  of  our  country. 

But  although  the  foundation  was  undoubtedly  thus 
laid,  for  the  important  event  which  soon  followed,  there 
was  nothing  discoverable  in  the  state  of  the  congrega- 
tion, immediately  previous,  that  pointed  out  its  near  and 
glorious  advent.  A  powerful  and  happy  awakening  and 
revival  had  been  experienced,  a  short  time  preceding, 
in  the  congregation  of  Morris-Town,  then  under  the 
pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  now  Doctor  James  Richards, 
without  being  attended  with  a  simultaneous  excitement 
in  the  adjacent  congregations  or  surrounding  country. 
Indeed,  notwithstanding  the  external  attention  and  or- 
der which  had  been  exhibited,  and  the  salutary  influ- 
ence of  the  stated  administration  of  the  divine  ordinan- 
ces,  which  had  been  witnessed  there,  it  was  manifest 
that  the  life  and  power  of  true  piety  were  but  little  felt, 
and  that  religion,  in  its  essence  and  spirit,  was  at  a  low 
ebb.  Coldness  and  indifference  appeared  to  have  per- 
vaded the  church  in  general,  throughout  the  whole 
state.  In  this  district,  however,  one  auspicious  symp- 
tom appeared  :  while  the  church  slumbered,  her  pastors 
were  awake. 

An  association  had  been  recently  formed,  more  espe- 
cially by  the  ministers  of  those  congregations  now  em- 
braced by  the  Presbytery  of  Jersey,*  the  object  ol 
which  was  to  perform  preaching  tours  through  their  re- 

*  This  ecclesiastical  body  was  originally  called  the  Presbytery  of  New- York. 
In  October,  1809,  that  part  of  it  which  lay  in  the  city  of  New-York  and  its  viriui- 
ty,  was  get  off  by  an  act  o.  the  Synod  of  !Vew-Yo:k  and  INew-Jcrsey,  and  consti- 
tuted a  new  Presbytery,  with  the  name  of  the  Presbytery  of  New- York.     The 


40  MEMOIRS  OF 

spective  coRgree:ations,  in  succession,  by  two  or  more 
ministers  in  company.  This  evangelizing  system  had 
been  pursued  for  a  number  of  weeks,  and  a  considerable 
impression  made,  through  the  divine  blessing,  on  a 
neighbouring  congregation,  when  Mr.  Finley,  by  invi- 
tation, participated  in  these  labours  of  love,  and  was 
touched  with  a  holy  spark  from  heaven,  which  soon  an- 
imated and  enkindled  a  great  proportion,  of  the  people 
of  his  charge. 

A  brief  representation  of  this  revival,'^  wich  took  place 
during  the  year  1803,  was  sent,  by  Mr.  Finley,  to  the 
committee  of  missions  of  the  general  assembly  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  in  a  letter  addressed  to  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Ashbel  Green,  chairman  of  said  committee,  and  by 
them  published  in  the  general  assembly's  "Missionary 
Magazine"  vol.  1st,  page  553.  As  the  communication 
here  referred  to,  gives  a  correct,  unadorned  and  sol- 
emn account  of  this  important  event  in  the  church  of 
Christ,  and  as  this  magazine  is  not  generally  possessed 
through  the  country,  it  appears  highly  proper  that  this 
authentic  and  interesting  detail  should  be  inserted  here 
at  full  length. 
"  Extracts  from  a  letter  received  from  the  Rev.  Robert 

Finley,  at  Basking  Ridge,  JSTefv-Jerse?/,  Dec.  23d,  1804. 

"When  the  present  year  commenced,  it  found  us  in 
a  profound  sleep,  with  regard  to  our  everlasting  con- 
remaining  part,  situated  in  the  state  of  Netv-Jersev,  was  permitted  to  retain  the 
records,  and  to  proceed  as  usual,  under  the  new  appellation  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Jersey. 

*  The  term  rci'iral  is  here  used  accordinji;  to  its  ordinary  acceptation,  to  signify 
an  extensive  out-pourin?  of  the  Divine  Spirit  and  a  powerful  awakeninsr  among 
sinners.  For  some  additional  remarks  on  this  subject,  a  sketch  of  revivals,  &c. 
aee  note  H. 


DR.     FINLEV.  41 

cerns.  All  was  still,  nor  was  there  a  voice  heard.  The 
valley  of  the  son  of  Hinnom  was  full  of  dry  bones.  Yet 
the  day  of  deliverance  was  at  hand,  and  at  this  midnight 
the  cry  was  preparing,  "  the  bridegroom  cometh,  go  ye 
out  to  meet  him."  The  clergy  of  the  Presbytery  of 
New- York,  had  now  for  a  month  or  two  been  engaged 
in  preaching  from  church  to  church,  after  the  example 
of  the  Lord's  disciples,  who  were  sent  out  two  by  two. 
A  serious  attention  to  religion  had  also  been  excited  in 
one  of  the  adjoining  churches.  In  the  month  of  Febru- 
ary I  was  invited  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Armstrong,  pastor  of 
the  church  at  Mendham,  to  meet  the  brethren  who  were 
to  visit  his  people  about  that  time.  I  complied,  and 
saw  a  large  assembly  eagerly  bent  on  hearing  the  word 
of  life.  I  saw  no  extraordinary  appearances,  and  in  my 
own  soul  felt  no  inward  refreshings.  I  then  learnt  wiiat  I 
have  felt  much  more  sensibly  since,  *^that  it  is  not  of  him 
that  willeth,  nor  of  him  that  runneth,"  but  ^'  that  every 
good  and  perfect  gift  cometh  down  from  the  Father  oi 
Lights."  Being  invited  to  unite  in  the  exertions  that 
were  making  by  the  clergy,  in  favour  of  religion,  I 
gladly  accepted,  and  met  for  the  first  time  with  the 
brethren,  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  February.  The  as- 
sembly to  which  they  preached  was  neither  large  nor 
solemn.  But  while  making  an  address  on  the  expostu- 
lation of  Jesus,  "  why  stand  ye  here  all  the  day  idle," 
there  was  imparted  to  my  soul  a  sensation  and  a  view, 
which  I  hope  was  worth  the  world.  I  knew  not  what 
it  was,  and  hardly  what  it  meant.  It  was  a  dark  nighty 
but  it  seemed  like  the  beginning  of  the  light  of  heaven. 
The  returning  day  brought  my  heart  again  to  the  same 
subject.  I  felt  like  one  who  had  been  bewildered,  and 
was  just  awakening  to  the  hope  of  deliverance  from  thr 

6 


4*2  MEMOIRS  OF 

maze.  Towards  evening  my  feelings  came  to  a  pomtj 
and  I  began  to  think  of  the  afflicted  captives  by  the 
streams  of  Babylon.  Their  mighty  attachment  to  the 
beloved  city  was  understood,  and  its  fallen  walls  were 
mourned  over.  The  remainder  of  the  week  w^as  spent 
in  eager  lookings  for  the  Sabbath.  When  the  Sabbath 
arrived,  the  day  was  stormy  and  tempestuous,  so  that 
new  discouragements  were  excited.  There  had  been 
many  fine  days  and  crowded  assemblies,  when  there  was 
no  heart  to  speak,  no  agonizing  desire  to  awaken  and 
rescue  men.  And  now,  when  the  desire  was  intense, 
and  the  resolution  superior  to  all  fear  of  man,  the  peo- 
ple were  kept  at  home.  It  was  of  Him  whose  councils 
may  not  be  challenged.  Only  about  twenty  persons  at- 
tended the  church.  Of  these  about  one  third  were  pro- 
fessors, and  of  the  remainder  there  was  not  one  who  was 
not  laid  under  solemn  conviction  of  sin.  It  now  brings 
to  my  remembrance  the  army  of  Gideon,  which  was  re- 
duced before  it  could  gain  the  victory.  The  subject  of 
discourse  was  that  day,  "  the  night  is  far  spent,  the  day 
is  at  hand."  How  literally  true  did  the  Lord  now  make 
it  thus  to  be  with  regard  to  us.  A  good  portion  of  the 
few  of  that  day  are  now  in  union  with  the  church,  and 
none  of  them  have  turned  back  to  folly  as  yet.  O  that 
the  gracious  Lord  would  prevent  the  curse  of  Chorazin 
and  Bethsaida  from  coming  upon  them !  The  vibration 
of  the  stroke  upon  these  few  hearts,  was  more  widely 
felt  than  could  have  been  expected.  On  the  evening 
folloAving,  there  were  about  forty  young  persons  assem- 
bled, for  their  improvement  in  music.  Their  teacher 
did  not  attend  ;  and  under  the  awe  of  the  preceding  day, 
a  few  of  them  desired  a  discourse.  It  was  given  them, 
from  the  v>ords, "  what  is  thy  request  ?"  It  appeared  to  be 


DR.   FINLEY.  43 

from  the  Lord,  that  the  teacher  did  not  come.  Several 
persons  were  this  evening  awakened  to  a  consideration 
of  their  ways  ;  and  when  they  were  dismissed,  it  was  de- 
lightful to  observe  that  they  went  away  with  remarkable 
decorum  and  solemn  silence.  It  seemed  as  if  every 
heart  had  received  a  portion,  the  nature  of  which  was 
yet  to  be  opened  up.  It  was  natural  and  agreeable  to 
duty,  to  keep  these  things  to  myself,  and  ponder  them 
well,  to  see  if  the  Lord  was  in  very  deed  in  them.  Near- 
ly the  whole  who  were  present  on  that  occasion,  are 
now  members  of  the  church. 

"  On  Tuesday  of  this  week,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Kollock 
and  Thompson,  in  their  circuit,  visited  my  church  for 
the  first  time :  and  they  appeared  to  be  sent  in  the  ful- 
ness of  the  blessing  of  the  gospel.  The  people  attended 
generally,  and  seemed  as  if  they  were  in  expectation  that 
something  of  an  interesting  nature  would  take  place. 
It  has  since  been  seen  that  impressions  before  made, 
were  much  deepened,  and  that  various  persons  were 
newly  awakened  from  their  long  sleep.  The  Lord  had 
now  prepared  his  means  for  producing  a  great  and  sud- 
den sensibility,  on  the  subjects  of  the  soul  and  eternity. 
A  few  persons  from  Mendham,  who  were  seriously 
seeking  for  eternal  life,  continued  during  Tuesday  night 
in  this  vicinity,  and  next  morning  came  to  converse  with 
the  ministers  at  my  house.  As  they  approached,  who- 
ever beheld  them,  seemed  to  look  upon  them  as  persons 
that  had  received  a  call  to  prepare  to  meet  their  God. 
I  was  asked  whether  I  would  be  willing  to  meet  with  a 
few  that  evening:  being  much  indisposed,  I  declined. 
Notice  notwithstanding  was  given  of  a  meeting,  and 
when,  contrary  to  my  expectation,  I  attended,  judge  of 
my  joy  and  wonder,  when  I  saw  a  large  assembly  in 


44  MEMOIRS  Oh 

solemn  and  weeping  silence.  Wherever  I  turned  my 
eyes,  I  observed  anxiety  and  tears.  The  difliculty  oi 
beginning  an  address  was  only  equalled  by  the  difficult 
ty  of  leaving  off.  A  perfect  silence  was  diffused  through- 
out, till  we  were  separating,  when  two  young  persons 
who  were  particular  for  their  intimacy,  met  each  other 
from  different  parts  of  the  house,  and  seeing  their  mutu- 
al situation,  fell  into  each  other's  arms,  with  a  momen- 
tary emotion,  which  was  widely  felt.  It  was  now  evi- 
dent to  all,  that  there  was  much  room  for  hope  and  pray- 
er. We  therefore  appointed  to  meet  on  Friday  of  the 
next  week,  at  the  academy.  You  may  suppose,  sir, 
that  the  Sabbath  was  looked  for  with  an  ardent  desire. 
It  was  one  of  the  most  stormy  days  I  ever  saw.  Not- 
withstanding this,  we  had  a  considerable  assembly,  who 
resembled  Mr.  Bunyan's  pilgrim,  when  putting  his  hands 
on  his  ears,  he  began  to  run,  and  cry  '*  Life !  life  !  eter- 
nal life  !"  In  company  with  brother  Richards,  I  took  a 
preaching  tour  this  week,  (second  week  of  February) 
and  left  my  people  until  Friday  morning.  I  had  a  most 
pleasant  tour,  though  it  was  the  severest  weather  we 
had  this  winter.  In  my  absence,  the  almost  instantane- 
ous death  of  one  of  my  most  respectable  people,  greatly 
increased  the  number  and  depth  of  the  convictions.  A 
large  assembly  collected  at  his  funeral,  and  the  very  si- 
lence that  reigned,  (for  there  was  no  service)  seemed  to 
be  blessed  by  God  to  the  furtherance  of  the  work.  The 
evening  of  the  day  on  which  I  returned,  was  our  first 
regular  meeting  for  prayer.  The  report  had  by  this 
time  spread  through  the  congregation,  that  there  was  a 
serious  awakening  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  church; 
so  that  notwithstanding  the  darkness  of  the  night  and 
badness  of  travelling,  there  was  a  large  assembly.     A 

t 


DR.  FINLEi'.  45 

discourse  was  preached  without  any  thing-  remarkable, 
except  a  very  fixed  attention.  When  the  general  round 
of  exercises  was  gone  through,  it  was  made  known  that 
any  who  wished  might  depart,  but  that  a  few  wo;ds 
would  be  addressed  to  those  who  were  supposed  to  be 
awakened  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  No  one  departed.  An 
address  was  then  made,  as  above  mentioned.  When  the 
awakened  being  summoned  "  to  come  out  and  separate,'* 
there  was,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  a  suppressed  cry 
from,  it  is  supposed,  not  less  than  fifty  persons.  That  I 
maybe  understood,  I  mean  by  a  suppressed  cry,  a  cry 
resembling  that  which  weeping  children  utter,  when 
they  are  forbidden  to  weep  aloud.  I  leave  you,  my 
dear  friend,  to  conceive  the  sensations  that  must  have 
been  awakened,  in  a  case  like  this,  in  the  bosom  of  a 
minister.  Absorbed  and  lost  in  wonder,  joy  and  praise, 
we  forgot  the  time,  and  passed  the  hour  generally  pre- 
scribed by  prudence.  The  first  thought  of  passing  time, 
presented  us  with  the  hour  of  eleven.  This  is  a  solitary 
instance  ;  and  whether  under  these  circumstances,  it  can 
be  excused  or  not,  I  cannot  tell.  But  of  this  I  am  cer- 
tain; it  was  a  night  to  be  remembered  among  a  thou- 
sand. It  might  be  counted  upon  as  certain,  that  in  the 
space  of  twelve  days,  from  the  first  Sabbath  till  now, 
one  hundred  persons  vvcre  brought  under  deep  convic- 
tions. 

"  On  the  next  Sabbath,  each  neighbourhood  was  de- 
sired to  Institute  societies  for  prayer ;  and  four  or  five  of 
them  were  attended  each  week  with  preaching. 

'*  On  the  third  week  of  February,  there  was  nothing  re- 
markable till  Friday  evening,  in  a  distant  part  of  the 
congregation,  where  there  Avas  weeping  and  lamenta- 
tion  which  threatened  disorder.     It  was  occasioned  hr 


46  MEMOIRS  OF 

the  accidental  coliection  of  a  number  of  those  most  af- 
fected into  one  corner  of  the  house.  By  advice  it  was 
immediately  reduced  to  silence.  This  was  a  time  of 
amazement  to  many  hard  and  wicked  persons,  and  it  then 
seemed  as  if  they  would  all  bow  with  one  accord.  But 
while  men  slept,  an  enemy  was  permitted  to  sow  tares, 
and  for  a  season  the  heavenly  plant  was  choked.  In 
other  distant  parts  of  the  congregation  there  did  not 
promise  any  thing  of  a  harvest  for  some  time.  It  might 
have  been  two  months,  which  brings  us  to  the  month  of 
r^Iay,  before  the  work  appeared  in  a  powerful  and  gene- 
ral manner,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  congregation. 
It  then  appeared  to  seize  on  nearly  every  heart.  About 
this  time  I  saw  the  only  bodily  affection  (as  it  is  called) 
that  ever  came  under  my  observation.  It  was  a  case  of 
a  young  woman  who  might  be  classed  with  the  Gallios 
in  religion.  During  the  greater  part  of  the  discourse, 
she  appeared  utterly  unconcerned.  Towards  the  close, 
her  countenance  changed  and  fell  visibly,  and  in  a  mo- 
ment. She  began  to  pant  like  one  asthmatic,  shed  for  a 
minute  a  flood  of  tears,  and  when  these  were  stayed,  the 
panting  increased,  and  seemed  to  approach  to  suflToca- 
tion.  Her  hands  were  cold  and  considerably  convulsed. 
Without  the  least  confusion  she  was  removed  into  anoth- 
er room,  where  she  was  nearly  alone,  and  where  she 
could  hear,  for  she  was  unwilling  to  be  taken  from  the 
house.  I  have  been  more  particular  on  this  last  point, 
because  it  is  probable  some  misrepresentations  have 
been  made.  About  midsummer,  a  similar  solemnity  be- 
gan to  appear  in  the  western  part  of  the  congregation  ; 
and  also  in  that  part  where  it  was  mentioned  the  tares 
were  sown,  there  was  a  precious  and  most  acceptable 
reviving.     In  every  quarter  had  there  now  been  a  truly 


DR.  FINLEY.  47 

heavenly  shower,  excepting  in  the  east.  There  were 
droppings  indeed  as  from  the  skirts  of  a  majestic  cloud, 
which  lightened  on  some  few  of  the  most  darkened  and 
malignant,  and  a  sure  hope  enlightened  and  sweetened 
their  souls. 

"When  we  were  almost  in  despair  of  this  portion  of  our 
dear  people,  about  the  month  of  November  we  were  an- 
imated with  a  delightful  prospect.  On  a  certain  even- 
ing very  dark  and  rainy,  not  more  than  forty  persons 
attended.  But  so  far  as  information  has  been  obtained, 
there  scarcely  was  an  individual  who  was  not  greatly  af- 
fected either  with  joy  or  anxiety.  Some  very  hardened 
persons  wept  bitterly,  and  some  very  young  persons  were 
tenderly  moved.  The  renewal  of  something  like  this 
has  been  very  refreshing  in  the  same  place  since  that 
time,  from  which  we  are  looking  with  humble  hope  for 
a  little  harvest.  It  had  often  seemed  to  me  almost  the 
sole  cause  of  a  minister's  grief,  that  men  could  not  be 
made  to  awake.  But  now,  when  there  were  so  many  ex- 
cited to  a  serious  consideration,  there  v/as  an  anxiety 
called  up  in  my  mind  which  had  been  unknown  before. 
While  the  immortal  soul  stood  hesitating  between  life 
and  death,  and  there  was  a  jeopardy  every  hour,  lest 
temptation  should  prevail,  or  death  close  all  opportuni- 
ty, you  may  well  suppose  they  were  viewed  with  an  ear- 
nest eye.  Every  human  excitement  was  put  before  the 
heart  ;  but  experience  gave  evidence  that  conversion 
was  no  less  a  work  of  God  than  conviction.  There 
were  none  who  were  made  to  taste  very  speedily  of  the 
joy  of  their  Lord.  In  about  five  or  six  weeks  however, 
there  were  some  who  began  to  hope  that  the  Lord  had 
graciously  revealed  himself  to  them.  But  these  soon 
lost  their  hope,   and   were  plunged  more  deeply  than 


48  MEMOIRS  OF 

ever  into  sorrow,  and  overwhelmed  more  than  before, 
with  a  sense  of  their  sin  and  helplessness.  Those  who 
continued  longer  before  obtaining  faith  and  hope  in  the 
mercy  of  God,  appeared  more  steady  from  the  begin- 
ning- of  their  joy.  Yet  the  former  did,  for  the  most  part, 
recover  again  and  stand  more  firmly  than  at  first.  In 
the  course  of  four  months  we  received  into  the  commun- 
ion of  the  church,  with  mixed  joy  and  fear,  sixty-four 
persons.  Others  continued  a  longer  or  a  shorter  period 
as  it  pleased  Him  who  is  the  truth  and  the  life.  I  was 
happy  beyond  expression,  when  constantly  mingling 
with  the  people,  to  find  here  and  there  springing  up  new 
plants  of  our  heavenly  Father's  planting. 

"  In  the  month  of  October  the  church  again  opened  her 
joyful  bosom  and  admitted  fifty-six  more  to  its  commun- 
ion.  In  the  manner  of  conviction  there  was  but  little 
variety.  The  general  grief  was  sin,  and  particularly 
the  sin  of  forgetting  God.  The  Lord  brought  to  their 
remembrance  his  own  expostulation,  "  If  I  be  a  father, 
where  is  mine  honour  ?" — Grief  for  this  sin  seemed  to 
be  augmented  from  finding  that  by  nature  their  hearts  lov- 
ed idols  :  they  were  still  inclined  to  follow  them.  Thus 
were  they  taught,  we  hope,  that  conversion  was  necessary, 
and  that  it  must  come  from  God.  The  Lord  was  very 
gracious  in  this,  that  though  the  conviction  was  very 
sharp  with  many,  yet  I  have  met  with  no  instance  that 
bordered  on  despair.  When  the  Lord  had  said,  "  thou 
hast  destroyed  thyself,"  he  seemed  to  add,  "  but  in  me 
Is  thy  help  found."  As  the  manner  of  conviction  bore 
a  strong  affinity  in  nearly  all ;  so  their  manner  of  expres- 
sing their  hopes  of  acceptance  with  God,  had  a  very 
great  uniformity.  There  were  a  very  few  who  in  the 
hour  of  deliverance,  felt  such  a  remarkable  animation  of 


DR.  FINLEy.  .     49 

the  pleasing  and  dutiful  dispositions  of  the  heart,  that 
they  seemed  to  rest  too  much  on  the  change  of  their  feel- 
ings and  less  on  the  great  atonement.  x\nd  there  was 
one  and  only  one  instance,  of  a  person  whose  expe- 
rience was  of  the  visionary  kind.  While  the  greater 
part  were  humbled  through  a  sense  of  their  fallen  and 
helpless  state,  and  looked  to  Him  who  was  lifted  up  to 
take  away  the  sins  of  the  world  ;  it  was  truly  refreshing, 
and  even  establishing  to  the  seeking  soul,  to  hear  with 
what  clearness  some,  who  had  been  utterly  ignorant  of 
religion,  now  spoke  of  Christ,  as  the  wisdom  and  power 
of  God  to  everyone  that  believeth.  I  have  seen  no  in- 
stance of  raptures,  but  have  seen  a  great  many  solid  com- 
forts, which  were  truly  delightful  to  behold. 

"  1  have  already  given  some  intimation  of  the  number 
who  were  affected  with  a  solemn  view  of  the  interests  of 
the  soul.  It  has  beea  mentioned  that  a  hundred  and 
twenty  had  been  added  to  the  communion  of  the  church. 
About  forty  others  have  expressed  a  belief  that  they  are 
builded  upon  the  Rock  of  ages.  In  addition  to  these  a 
large  number  were  awakened  to  some  serious  concern  : 
in  all,  probably  not  less  than  three  hundred  persons  of 
all  ages,  sexes  and  descriptions.  We  had  reason  to  hope 
that  an  aged  man  after  he  had  lived  considerably  above 
eighty  years,  was  received  into  the  divine  favour  in  the 
last  month  of  his  life.  And  what  perhaps  may  be  men- 
tioned properly  in  this  place,  near  the  close  of  the  work, 
there  were  four  persons  awakened  on  one  Sabbath,  each 
nearly  seventy  years  of  age.  The  seriousness  among 
little  children  was  also  very  extensive,  and  though  no 
encouragement  whatever  was  given  to  do  so,  it  was  ad- 
mirable to  hear  them  telling  of  the  light  of  the  scriptures 
and  of  their  fear  to  go  to  sleep,   lest  they  should  lose 

7 


1)0  MEMOIRS  OJ. 

their  delightfal  views  of  heavenly  things.  The  number 
of  new  convictions  is  now  but  very  small ;  but  that  of 
those  who  heretofore  had  been  roused  to  consideration 
and  are  from  time  to  time  led  to  the  waters  of  healing, 
is  comfortably  great.  Blessed  be  God,  as  yet  we  have  had 
nothing  to  lament  as  to  the  unbecoming  walk  of  any. 
We  have  now  a  goodly  flock,  but  already  it  begins  to 
scatter.  Nearly  a  dozen  have  removed  ;  one  or  two 
have  died  :  so  that  in  a  few  years  we  shall  stand  in  the 
same  need  as  ever  of  a  summer  and  a  harvest.  Oh  !  if 
the  Lord  may  look  on  us  and  keep  us  as  the  apple  of  his 
eye,  and  be  ever  ready  to  renew  the  happy  year,  which 
in  free  and  rich  grace  is  now  given  to  us  ! — 

"  Thus,  sir,  I  have  traced  a  few  of  those  events  which 
have  taken  place  among  us,  and  if  the  relation  shall  be 
any  satisfaction  to  you,  it  will  be  a  pleasure  to  one,  w^ho 
is  happy  to  say  how  respectfully  and  affectionately  he  is 
yours. 

"  ROBERT  FINLEY." 

In  this  memorable  and  precious  season,  the  refreshing 
influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  were  experienced,  first  in 
the  pastor's  own  heart.  But  the  set  time,  to  favour  this 
portion  of  Zion,  had  come,  and  the  quickening  impulse 
soon  became  very  powerful  and  very  extensive. 
Through  the  whole  of  this  gracious  dispensatioji  to  that 
church,  the  pastor  ma.nifested  a  degree  of  excitement, 
fervour  and  joy,  which  fully  corresponded  with  the 
most  powerful  and  lively  operations  of  divine  grace,  dis- 
played around  him.  He  gave  himself  wholly  up  to  God, 
in  this  great  work,  as  an  instrument  to  increase  its  efiica- 
cy  and  to  magnify  its  glory.  All  the  powers  of  his  na- 
ture were  roused  to  action,  and  engaged  in  his  Master's 
and  in  his  peoples'  service.     He  allowed  himself  time., 


DR.    FINLEV.  51 

scarcely  suiiicient,  for  necessary  refreshment.  He  visit- 
ed ;  he  preached  ;  he  taught ;  he  warned  ;  he  prayed  daily 
from  house  to  house,  v/ith  affectionate  importunity  and 
flowing  tears.  He  flew,  with  rapidity,  to  every  quar- 
ter of  his  extensive  congregation,  labouring  by  day  and 
by  night,  to  awaken  the  thoughtless  and  unmoved,  out 
of  their  perilous  and  afflicting  sleep.  In  his  public  dis- 
courses, he  spake  with  a  degree  of  earnestness  and  ve- 
hemence, truly  astonishing,  almost  more  than  human. 
His  great  zeal  and  corresponding  efforts,  within  his  own 
congregation  where  the  same  earnestness  abounded, 
created  no  emotions  but  those  of  sober  admiration,  deep 
concern  and  profound  satisfaction.  In  his  occasional 
ministrations,  in  neighbouring  congregations  where  the 
professors  of  religion  remained  formal  and  lukewarm, 
and  where  the  people  in  general  felt  very  little  interest 
in  these  eternal  concerns,  his  zeal  appeared  to  some,  im- 
moderate and  his  manner  extravagant.  In  their  cold 
and  lifeless  state  they  could  not  enter  into  his  views,  nor 
keep  pace  with  his  feelings.  Hence  some  accounted 
his  unusual  warmth  and  extraordinary  exertions  enthusi- 
astic. In  this,  they  exposed  their  own  Laodicean  tem- 
per and  excited  his  tender  pity. 

The  "view"  with  which  he  was  visited  in  the  commence- 
ment of  this  revival,  and  the  renewed  impulse,  which  he 
now  received,  from  above,  in  his  gospel  ministry,  produ- 
ced in  him  effects  the  most  permanent  and  happy.  They 
seemed  to  animate,  direct  and  characterize,  all  his  sub- 
sequent life,  in  public  and  in  private.  It  became  mani- 
fest that  the  high  tone  of  religious  feeling  and  uncom- 
mon ardour  in  exertion,  for  which  Mr.  Finley  w^as  re- 
markable, perhaps  somewhat  singular,  especially  during 
this  work  of  grace  among  his  people,  did  not  spring 


U'Ji  Mi:  MO  IKS  Oif 

from  a  transient  excitement  of  the  passions,  but  were  pro- 
duced, by  a  clear  and  lasting  discovery  of  the  vast  and 
eternal  obligations  and  interests  here  involved,  accom- 
panied by  a  rational  and  sincere  regard  for  the  divine 
glory,  and  an  ardent  desire  for  the  salvation  of  souls. — 
This  visitation  of  mercy  produced  an  addition,  to  the  com- 
munion of  the  church  at  Basking  Ridge,  of  one  hundred 
and  thirty-two  members. 

The  success  with  which  God  was  pleased,  thus  early 
to  crown  his  ministrations,  contributed  in  a  great  de- 
gree, to  place  him  in  a  conspicuous  light  before  the  pub- 
lic and  to  establish  his  reputation  in  the  church,  as  an 
able,  faithful  and  successful  minister  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment. The  world  judged  correctly,  that  they,  whom 
God  so  signally  honours,  in  making  them  the  favoured 
instruments  of  doing  so  much  good  to  others,  deserve  pe- 
culiar reverence  and  honour  from  men. 

After  this  season  had  subsided,  and  new  instances  of 
awakening  and  conversion  become  comparatively  rare, 
many  precious  fruits  of  the  revival  continued  to  be  ex- 
perienced among  that  people.  In  the  ensuing  year,  thir- 
ty souls  were  added  to  the  church,  who  for  the  most 
part  were  considered  as  gleanings  of  the  preceding  har- 
vest. The  pastor  devoted  himself,  with  great  diligence 
and  perseverance,  to  the  interests  of  his  flock.  Praying 
societies,  which  had  been  instituted  while  the  excite- 
ment continued,  and  conducted  without  his  presence 
and  aid,  he  now  fostered  as  nurseries  of  piety,  and  as 
the  hope  of  the  church.  He  watched  over  new  profess- 
ors, and  especially  the  young  converts,  with  parental 
vigilance  and  fidelity.  The  poor,  the  unfortunate  and 
the  afflicted  of  Christ's  family,  shared  his  peculiar  sym- 
pathy and  kindness.     He  took  great  pains  to  search  out 


DR.  FINL*r-  O^f 

and  became  particularly  acquainted  Avith  those  who 
were  in  dependent  circumstances,  exposed  to  diilicultles, 
inconveniently  situated  for  attending  on  the  public  wor- 
ship of  God,  and  surrounded  by  corrupt  and  dangerous 
society.  To  them  he  extended  the  best  and  speediest  re- 
lief in  his  power.  In  several  instances  he  incurred  con- 
siderable expense  in  procuring.,  in  the  condition  of  such, 
the  changes  and  ameliorations  Vv-hich  he  thought  neces- 
sary. 

About  this  period,  prejudice  against  using  the  Bible  as 
a  school  book,  began  to  manifest  itself,  and  to  prevail 
in  some  parts  of  this  country.^  Many  of  the  ignorant 
and  unprincipled  teachers,  who  were  then  in  numerous 
instances  employed,  especially  in  country  places,f  enter- 
tained and  propagated  this  unhappy  delusion.  J 

Mr.  Finley  exerted  all  his  zeal  and  influence  to  retain 
the  Bible,  and  to  introduce  it  to  daily  use,  in  all  the 
schools  of  the  surrounding  country.  Under  a  deep 
persuasion,  that  children  and  youth  cannot  become  too 
early  and  familiarl}^  acquainted  with  the  word  of  God, 
he  devoted  himself  to  this  interesting  object,  till  he  saw 
it  completely   attained.     He  paid  considerable  atten- 

*  See  note  I. 

f  The  teacher  employed  at  that  time  in  the  village  of  Basking  Ridge,  was 
strongly  opposed  to  introducing  the  Bible  as  a  school  book.  When  Mr.  Finley 
called  to  recommend  the  measure,  he  found  hira  obstinate  on  the  subject, 
disposed  to  argue,  cavil  and  resist.  After  making  some  gentle  attempts  to  induce 
his  compliance,  without  perceiving  a  disposition  to  yield,  Mr.  Finley  addressed 
him  in  substance  as  follows :  *'  Sir,  ray  mind  ia  made  up  on  the  subject :  you 
know  my  wish :  I  have  no  objection  to  you  as  a  teacher  on  any  other  ground  :  but 
if  you  don't  comply  immediately  on  this  point,  prepare  your  accounts,  and  collect 
your  money ;  for  you  sha'nt  be  here  a  week."  That  argument  had  the  desired 
affect  at  once. 

+  See  Bote  J. 


5'4  MEMOIRS  OF 

tion  also,  to  the  characters  and  qualifications  of  the 
teachers  employed  in  the  schools  of  his  congregation, 
and  endeavoured  to  impress  the  minds  of  the  people  ^vith 
a  sense  of  the  necessity  and  importance  of  exercising 
prudent  care  and  caution,  in  engaging  instructors  for 
their  children. 

During  several  succeeding  years,  the  congregation 
enjoyed  no  extraordinary  effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
but  rather  exhibited  an  interesting  state  of  peace,  order 
and  gradual  improvement  in  divine  knowledge  and 
grace.  Small  additions  were  uniformly  made  to  the 
church,  of  such  as  gave  evidence  of  a  gracious  change, 
and  entertained  a  hope  of  salvation,  through  faith  in 
Christ.  The  elders  of  the  church,  hand  in  hand  with 
their  pastor,  as  the  records  of  their  transactions  evince, 
exercised  the  utmost  v/atchfulness  and  care  over  the 
flock,  admonishing,  exhorting,  reproving,  with  all  gen- 
tleness and  long  suffering.  Considering  the  great  in- 
crease in  the  number  of  professing  Christians,  that  had 
been  recently  made,  instances  of  backsliding  and  apos- 
tacy  were  unusually  rare  in  that  church. 

In  the  year  1806,  Mr.  Finley  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  College  of  New-Jersey. 
This  was  considered  by  the  public  as  a  very  honourable 
testimony  of  his  growing  respectability  and  merit.  Lib- 
eral and  public  spirited  in  all  his  views  and  operations, 
a  friend  and  patron  of  science  and  general  improvement, 
and  warmly  attached  and  devoted  to  the  interests  of  this 
college,  as  his  alma  mater,  the  fountain  at  which  he  had 
imbibed  the  streams  of  knowledge  and  of  religion ;  he 
discharged  the  duties  of  this  responsible  station,  with 
the  utmost  constancy  and  faithfulness,  till  his  removal 
from  New-Jersev. 


BR.     FINLET.  55 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  eighteen  hundred  and  eight, 
his  ministerial  labours  at  Basking  Ridge  were  attended 
again  with  more  than  ordinary  effect.  The  congrega- 
tion in  general  were  excited  to  more  diligent  and  seri- 
ous attention  to  the  preaching  of  God's  word  and  admin- 
istration of  his  ordinances,  than  had  been  witnessed  for 
several  former  years.  The  increase  of  attention  among 
sinners  was  so  considerable,  and  the  divine  influence 
communicated  to  Christians  so  manifest,  as  to  warrant 
the  distinguishing  appellation  of  a  revival  of  religion ; 
and  this  era  ought  to  be  viewed  as  much  more  than 
ordinarily  interesting  and  prosperous,  in  the  annals  of 
that  i  hurch.  For,  in  the  course  of  this  year,  about  twen- 
ty persons  were  added  to  the  communion,  on  professing 
their  faith  in  Christ ;  and  the  numerous  body  of  Chris- 
tians, composing  the  church,  were  greatly  animated  and 
comforted  in  the  divine  life. 

In  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  nine,  Mr.  Finley 
was  selected  to  preach  the  missionary  sermon  during  the 
meeting  of  the  General  Assembly,  in  the  city  of  Phila- 
delphia. This  service  he  performed  with  credit  to  him- 
self, and  satisfaction  to  the  audience.  He  received  the 
thanks  of  the  Assembly,  for  the  zealous  effort  he  had 
made  to  promote  the  missionary  cause.  Ilis  modesty 
induced  him  to  decline  furnishing  a  copy  of  this  dis- 
course for  publication,  notwithstanding  this  practice  had 
been  observed,  with  very  few  deviations,  for  many  pre- 
ceding years. 

In  the  same  year  he  was  appointed  by  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in  connection  with 
the  Rev.  Messrs.  John  B.  Romeyn  and  Edward  D.  Griffin, 
"to  attend  the  next  meeting  of  the  General  Association  of 
Connecticut,'^     Asa  member  of  this  respectable  delega- 


56  MEMOIRS  OF 

tion,  Mr.  Finlej^  discharged  his  duty  faithfully  and  ac- 
ceptably. His  interview  with  the  Eastern  brethren  whom 
he  met  in  that  association,  gave  him  great  satisfaction ; 
and  the  travel  to  Connecticut  was  greatly  serviceable  to 
his  health,  at  that  time  somewhat  impaired. 

The  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
twelve,  which  was  the  seventeenth  year  of  Mr.  Finley's 
ministry,  presented  another  very  interesting  and  blessed 
scene  in  the  congregation  at  Basking  Ridge.  It  pleased 
God  at  this  time,  to  repeat  his  gracious  visit  to  that  peo- 
ple, and  to  grant  a  precious  and  renewed  manifestation 
of  his  presence,  and  exercise  of  his  power  and  mercy  on 
the  hearts  of  a  considerable  number,  of  all  ages  and 
characters.  The  devout  and  heavenly  minded  pastor, 
shared  sweetly  and  copiously  the  divine  influences,  shed 
down  at  this  period,  upon  that  portion  of  Zion.  His 
soul  was  enkindled  afresh  in  his  Master's  service;  and 
his  powers  w^ere  stirred  up  and  engaged,  to  improve  the 
propitious  season  which  seemed  to  be  opening  again 
upon  the  people  of  his  charge.  Trained  by  a  former 
dispensation  of  the  King  of  Zion,  to  the  glorious  service 
of  conducting  a  triumph  of  grace,  among  the  guilty  and 
rebellious  sons  of  men,  and  called,  as  he  humbly  hoped, 
at  this  time,  to  a  similar  work,  on  a  more  extended  scale, 
he  came  forward  as  a  good  soldier  of  the  Captain  of  sal- 
vation, and  devoted  all  his  skill,  strength  and  ardour  to 
the  cause.  But  Paul  may  plant  and  Apollos  water,  it  is 
God  who  giveth  the  increase.  This  visit  of  the  Heaven- 
ly Father,  appeared  from  the  result,  to  have  been  de- 
signed, in  a  considerable  degree,  for  the  improvement 
and  consolation  of  his  own  dear  people,  the  subjects  of 
his  former  works  of  grace.  They  needed  quickening 
and  encouragement  in  the  Christian  course,    and  the 


DR.  FINLEY.  5t 

liearts  of  many  that  doubted  and  feared,  were  animated 
and  established,  in  the  faith  and  hope  of  the  gospel : 
some  that  were  broken  and  contrite,  that  languished 
and  fainted,  were  revived  and  invigorated  ;  some  that 
hungered  and  thirsted,  were  abundantly  satisfied  and  fill- 
ed with  gladness,  in  this  time  of  refreshing  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord.  While  the  professing  people  of  God 
were  deeply  humbled,  excited  to  fervent  supplication, 
and  brought  solemnly  to  search  and  try  their  own  hearts, 
and  renewedly  to  accept  the  Saviour  and  enter  the  gos- 
pel refuge  : — many  trembling  sinners  were  found,  anx- 
iously "  inquiring  what  they  should  do  to  be  saved.'* 
Meetings,  for  prayer  and  pious  conversation,  were  fre- 
quent and  crouded.  Many  solemn  and  weeping  assem- 
blies, by  day  and  at  night,  with  fixed  attention  and  death 
like  silence,  heard  the  awakening  and  cheering  messages 
of  truth  and  mercy,  from  the  lips  of  their  beloved  and 
evangelic  pastor.  The  number,  of  souls  gathered  in  to 
Christ  at  this  time,  was  small,*  compared  with  the  fruits 
of  a  former  revival,  and  with  the  desires  and  hopes  en- 
tertained on  this  occasion,  and  considering  how  exten- 
sively solemn  convictions  appeared  to  prevail  through 
the  congregation  in  the  progress  of  this  gracious  work. 
While  Mr.  Finley  was  thus  labouring  ardently  and 
successfully  for  the  promotion  of  true  religion  within 
his  own  congregational  charge,  the  interests  and  prosper- 
ity of  the  church  in  general,  lay  near  his  heart.  His 
local  situation,  rendered  it  more  convenient  for  him, 
than  it  was  for  any  other  principal  member  of  the  pres- 
bytery of  New-Brunswick,  to  visit  that  portion  of  the 
church,  under  the  care  of  this  presbytery,  in  the  county 

^  About  thirty-five. 
8 


58  MEMOIRS  OF 

of  Sussex,  now  embraced  by  the  presbytery  of  New- 
ton,'^ in  which  several  important  congregations  were 
wholly  vacant,  and  others  painfully  agitated  with  dissen- 
tions  and  animosities.  Animated  by  zeal,  for  the  gene- 
ral interests  of  Zion,  and  excited  by  a  sincere  concern, 
for  the  destitute  state  of  this  region,  in  the  church,  he 
frequently  visited  it — sometimes  spontaneously — oftener 
at  the  invitation  of  some  vacant  congregation,  or  request 
of  some  contending  parties — most  frequently,  by  the  ap- 
pointment of  the  presbytery,  who  were  always  pleased 
to  avail  themselves  of  his  services,  especially  on  impor- 
tant occasions.  His  capacity,  for  managing  difficult  and 
critical  business,  was  remarkable  and  Avell  known.  He 
was  an  acute  discerner  of  the  ends  and  springs  of  action, 
in  every  character  : — he  possessed  an  uncommon  share 
of  judgment  and  prudence  : — he  w^as  calm  and  dispas- 
sionate, in  a  very  high  degree  : — he  was  fair,  frank  and 
hones-t,  in  his  address  : — he  was  firm  and  immoveable  in 
his  adherence  to  justice  and  fairness  on  every  subject ; 
he  was  meek  and  submissive,  patient  and  persevering  : — 
and  he  was  a  peculiar  lover  of  peace  and  harmony.f  Ad- 
/*■ 

*  The  district  of  the  cliurch,  here  referred  to,  was  set  off  from  the  presbytery 
of  New-Brunswick,  and  erected  into  a  distinct  presbytery  bearing  the  name  of  the 
"Presbytery  of  Newton,"  by  an  act  of  the  Synod  of  New-York  and  New  Jer- 
sey, at  their  last  meeting  in  October  eighteen  hundred  and  seventeen. 

f  In  the  course  of  these  visits,  Mr.  Finley  had  the  misfortune  to  incur  the  dis- 
pleasure of  a  brother  clergyman,  of  some  standing  in  the  church.  The  offended  per- 
son had  manifested  his  displeasure  for  some  time,  very  decidedly  and  openly,  so  as 
to  attract  public  notice,  when,  an  opportunity  was  unexpectedly  afforded  Mr,  Fia- 
iey  to  manifest  one  of  the  excellent  dispositions  of  his  heart.  The  presbytery  of 
New  Brunswick  hadju«t  adjourned  and  were  about  separating,  when  some  circum- 
stance drew  the  clergyman  referred  to,  into  a  room  where  Mr.  Finley  and  two  or 
three  other  persons  were  sitting  Mr.  Finley,  immediately  rose  from  hig  seat, 
addressed  the  gentleman  in  a  friendly  manner,  and  proceeded  calmly  to  inquire 


DR.    FINLEY.  59 

ded  to  this  he  had  a  more  accurate,  personal  knowledge 
of  the  churches  there,  than  any  other  man,  of  his  stand- 
ing, in  the  presbytery.  Hence  he  was  selected  in  many 
instances,  as  the  most  suitable  character,  to  go  to  that 
region  of  the  church,  to  supply  vacant  congregations,  to 
administer  the  ordinances  of  the  gospel  and  to  heal  di- 
visions among  them.  He  promptly  complied,  in  every 
i)]stance,  when  his  circumstances  and  engagements  at 
home,  would  at  all  permit.  Nay  he  acted  on  the  prin- 
ciple, that  personal  and  domestic  sacrifices  must  be 
made,  for  the  sake  of  discharging  faithfully  public  duty. 
He  cheerfully  rendered  his  services  and  ardently  exert- 
ed all  his  influence,  to  accomplish  the  purposes  for  which 
he  was  sent,  in  these  successive  tours.  He  had  consid- 
erable influence  and  agency  in  organizing  and  bringing 
into  the  Presbyterian  connection,  several  important  and 
growing  congregations.  And  on  the  whole,  he  per- 
formed, many  arduous  and  successful  services  for  the 
churches  in  Sussex,  the  benefits,  of  which,  will  long  be 
felt  and  remembered,  by  those  congregations. 

into  Ibe  cause  of  the  coolness  and  neglect,  'which  he  had  for  some  time  manifested 
towards  hinfi.  The  gentleman  making  no  reply,  and  showing  a  disposition  to  with- 
draw-, Mr.  Finley  pressed  him  still  farther  in  the  follon-ing  words  : — "  Sir,  I  ama 
friend  of  peace.  I  feel  that  there  is  a  peculiar  impropriety  in  our  living  in  this 
manner — it  must  not  be  so.  If  I  have  injured  you,  tell  me  wherein,  and  I  will 
make  you  any  acknowledgment  or  reparation  in  my  power  this  moment,  and  take 
pleasure  in  doing  it  "  The  gentleman  hesitated,  appeared  sour  and  unyield- 
ing— Mr.  Finley  proceeded — "well,  sir,  I  can  do  no  more  than  this" — laying  his 
hand  upon  his  naked  breast—"  I  solemnly  declare  that  I  am  unconscious  of  hav- 
ing ever  designedly  or  inadvertently  done  you  an  injury :  but  if  you  will  only  be 
reconciled  and  give  me  your  iiand  in  friendship,  I  will  get  down  upon  my  knees  and 
a»k  your  pardon."  The  gentleman  made  no  reply,  turned  about,  and  left  the 
room.  Mr.  Finley  gome  time  after  observed,  that  subsequently  to  the  above  oc- 
currence, he  had  frequently  attempted  to  court  and  conciliate  this  gentleman, 
but  that  all  his  advances  and  efforts  had  met  with  a  similar  rei-ulse. 


60  MEMOIRS  OF 

While  Mr.Finley  was  so  unreraittingly  engaged,  in  en- 
deavouring to  promote  religion,  in  his  own  charge,  and 
so  zealously  devoted  to  the  interests  of  some  portions  of 
the  church,  which  lay  Avithin  the  reach  of  his  own  per- 
sonal ministrations,  he  was  also  deeply  occupied,  in  de- 
vising and  maturing  schemes  of  the  most  extensive  im- 
portance and  utility.  One  ecclesiastical  measure  in 
which,  he  had  a  principal  agency,  is  too  important  not 
to  be  particularly  noticed,  in  these  memoirs.  I  mean, 
the  system  for  instructing  youth,  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
Bible,  by  classes.     The  plan  originated^'  in  the  presby- 

*  Justice  reqiiii-ps  it  to  be  distinctly  stated  that  the  idea  of  making  this  meth- 
od of  instructing  youth  aenera!  through  «he  church,  and  of  taking  presbyterial  or- 
der on  the  subject,  was  first  suggested  by  the  Rev.  George  S.  Woodhull,  of  Cran- 
bury,  New-Jersey  A  few  individual  pastors,  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  it 
has  been  ascertained  on  inquiry,  had  previously,  made  some  attempts,  in  their 
respective  congregations,  to  introduce  this  mode  of  instruction,  but,  it  is  believed, 
without  any  view  to  its  becoming  an  established  system  in  the  Presbyterian 
church.  This  happy  thought  first  occurred  to  Mr.  Woodhull,  and  as  soon  as  sug- 
gested, was  seized  with  avidity  by  Mr.  Finley.  These  gentlemen,  par  nobile 
fratrum,  actpd  in  concert,  as  far  as  was  practicable,  in  the  whole  of  this  business. 
The  following  extract,  from  the  minutes  of  the  meeting  of  presbytery,  October 
1815,  which  was  printed,  distributed  through  the  churches,  and  laid  before  Synod, 
to  be  the  basis,  of  their  proceedings  on  the  subject,  was  reported  to  presbytery, 
by  ^hese  gentlemen  jointly,  as  a  committee,  but  was  written  by  the  last  named 
gentleman  : — 

*'  The  committee  who  were  appointed  fully  to  consider  and  report  on  the  resolu- 
tion passed  by  the  pre>bytery,  recommending  to  the  ministers  with  pastoral  char- 
ges, to  form  classes  o(  young  people  in  their  congregations,  for  studying  and  re- 
citing on  the  Bible,  brought  in  the  lollowing  report,  which  was  read  and  adopted, 
viz: 

"  The  present  is  an  age  in  which  great  exertions  are  making  for  the  advancement 
of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  in  t  he  world  Although  for  more  than  twenty  years 
the  civilized  world  has  been  shaken  to  its  centre,  by  long  continued  and  sanguina- 
ry wars,  yet  the  people  of  God  in  Europe  and  America,  have  not  ceased  to  send 
missionaries  to  tlie  heathen,  and  the  word  of  life  t©  the  destitute  and  poor.  No 
plan,  however,  as  your  coromittet*  believe  has  yet  been  formed  by  any  ecclesiasti- 
cal body,  for  the  express  purpose  of  instructing  the  young  in  the  history,  the  doc- 
iriaes,  and  practical  truths  of  the  Bible.     Such  a  plan,  if  carried  into  complete  and 


DR.  FINLEr.  61 

tery  of  New-Brunswick,  at  the  semi-annual  meeting,  in 
October,  1815. 


general  execution,  we  believe  would,  with  the  blessing  of  Gotl,  be  attended  with 
the  haDi)iest  efTects.  The  youns  people  would  have  their  attention  directed  to 
the  most  impor; ant  truths  ;  it  would  lead  the  way,  by  easy  stages,  to  almost  daily 
conversiitionx  on  relic;ious  subjects :  it  would  furnish  the  minds  of  the  young  witli 
such  a  fund  of  knowledge  as  might  prevent  their  becoming  victims  of  enthusiasm 
and  error.  It  would  be  advantageous  to  ministers  themselves  :  it  would  excite 
their  zeal,  and  the  zeal  of  their  people,  and  with  the  blessing  of  God  and  the  aids 
of  his  spirit,  may  be  instrumental,  in  conjunction  with  otlier  means,  of  hastening 
the  time  when  the  knowledge  of  God  and  his  word  shall  cover  the  earth,  as  the 
waters  do  the  sea 

*'  With  rejiard  to  the  details  of  the  plan  of  instruction,  your  committee  are  of  opin 
ion  that  in  general,  each  minister  of  a  coiig!  elation,  must  be  guided  by  circum- 
stances, and  by  his  own  judi^ment.  Your  committee,  however,  propose  the  fol- 
lowing :  — 

"  i.  Wherever  a  class  sufficiently  numerous  in  any  part  of  the  congregation  is 
formed,  at  the  first  meeting,  the  minister  shall  deliver  a  lecture  on  five  chapters, 
or  such  other  portion  of  the  Biblf  as  he  may  think  proper  from  the  Old  or  New 
Testament  at  his  discretion,  holding  up  to  view  the  principal  truths  contained  in 
those  chapters,  and  explaining  the  difficult  passages  tliey  may  contain  At  the 
next  meeting  the  class  shall  be  examined  on  these  chapters  and  another  lecture 
then  given  on  other  chapters  of  the  Bible— this  to  be  continued  weekly  or  as  of- 
ten as  may  be  convenient,  and  to  be  accompanltd  with  prayer  and  singing. 

"  2.  If  it  should  be  practicable  to  carry  into  effect  the  above  plan,  the  minister 
may  deliver  lectures  on  the  Bible,  on  the  Sabbath  day,  and  examine  the  young 
people  upon  them,  as  often  as  he  may  think  proper. 

"  Your  committee  offer  the  following  resolutions — 

**  Resolved,  That  this  report  be  signed  by  the  Moderator  and  Clerk,  and  tha* 
fifty  copies  thereof  be  printed,  and  one  copy  sent  to  every  congregation  un- 
der the  care  of  the  presbytery.  And  that  the  stated  Clerk  forward  one  copy  to 
the  committee  oi  overtures  of  the  Synod  of  New  York  and  New-Jersey  at  their 
next  meetin!!,  with  a  view  of  bringing  this  subject  before  that  body,  that  they  may 
take  such  order  thereon  as  they  may  see  proper. 

"  Resolved,  That — [This  blank  was  afterwards  filled  by  tlse  presbytery  witli  the 
names  of  Messrs  Fiuley  and  Woodhull  ]— be  a  committee  to  superintend  the 
printing  and  distribution  of  this  report." 

Although  the  church  and  public  are  indebted  in  a  great  degree  to  the  first  su^. 
gester  of  this  scheme  for  its  past  and  promising  usefulness,  Mr.  Finley  is  to  be 
considered  as  having  been  highly  instrumental,  in  maturing  the  system,  securing 
its  adopliou  and  carrying  it  info  practical  effect 


62  MEMOIRS  OF 

In  the  Synod  of  New-York  and  New-Jerse}^  October 
1815,  Mr.  Finley  appeared,  in  conjunction  with  his  amia- 
ble and  excellent  associate  in  this  business,  to  recom- 
mend and  support  their  favourite  plan.  The  outline 
presented  in  the  preceding  extract  from  the  minutes  of 
the  presbytery  of  New-Brunswick  was  favourably  re- 
ceived by  the  Synod.  A  resolution  was  passed  approv- 
ing the  plan,  accepting  the  report  of  the  committee  on 
the  subject,^  and  directing  it  to  be  laid  before  the  next 

«•  The  following  extract  from  the  minutes  of  Synod,  will  present  a  view  of  their 
proceedings  in  relation  to  this  business,  viz  : — 

"  The  committee  of  overtures  reported  that  they  had  overtiired  a  plan  for  in- 
structing the  youth  by  forming  clashes  in  ihe  several  congregations  for  studying 
and  reciting  the  Bible. 

"  A  committee  is  appointed  to  consider  and  rcnort  4'C. 

*'  The  committee  to  whom  was  referred  ths  overture  on  forming  classes  of  young 
people  for  studying  and  reciting  the  Bible,  made  the  following  report  which  was 
adopted,  viz  : 

"  This  is  a  subject,  which  in  the  opinion  of  your  committee,  claims  an  early  and 
careful  attention,  of  the  tiyaoa.  While  tlie  whole  Christian  world  concurs  in 
presenting  to  thedestitu^e  and  uninstructed,  the  Bible  without  note  or  comment, 
as  containing  the  pure  and  com^tlete  word  of  life,  let  us  not  fail  to  present  it,  dis- 
tinctly under  the  same  correct  and  important  cliaracter,  to  our  own  children  and 
youth,  and  induce  them  by  every  engaging  means  to  study  it  as  such,  lest  the  com- 
monness of  the  Bible  among  us,  connected  with  any  apparent  neglect  of  it,  or 
preference  of  other  sources  of  instructioa,  should  have  influence,  to  diminish  their 
respect  for  the  sacred  volume.  To  awaken  the  spirit  of  inquiry,  and  engage  the 
attention  of  tlie  understanding,  in  perusing  the  scriptures,  is  an  object  of  the  first 
importance  in  the  religious  education  of  youth.  To  prevent  or  correct  habits  of 
careless  reading,  is  essential  to  their  progress  in  kno  vledge.  And  to  present  dis- 
tinctly to  their  view,  thf  Bible  as  the  pure  and  complete  fountain  of  religious 
knowledge,  is  indispensable  in  a  faithful  care  of  their  education.  Your  commit- 
tee therefore  beg  leave  to  sugge!?t  the  propriety  of  earnestly  recommending  to 
the  ministers  and  sessions  under  the  care  of  this  Svnod,  to  pay  special  attention 
to  this  subject,  and  provide  without  delay,  for  the  stated  instruction  of  their  chil- 
dren and  youth,  in  distinct  portions  of  the  sacred  scriptures,  in  the  way  of  partic- 
ular study  and  recitation,  upon  such  plan,  and  under  such  arrangements,  as  each 
minister  and  session  may  ttiink  expedient : — always  taking  care,  however,  that 
this  siiall  not  come  ia  the  place  of  learning  the  catechisms  of  our  church,  with  the 


DR.    FINLEr.  63 

General  Assembly,  with  a  view  that  the  proposed  sys- 
tem might  be  approved  and  adopted  for  general  use, 
through  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly,  in  May, 
1816,  this  important  subject  was  introduced  to  the  atten- 
tion of  that  venerable  body,  through  the  stated  clerk* 
of  the  Synod  of  New- York  and  New-Jersey,  who,  by 
the  instructions  of  Synod,  laid  before  the  committee  of 
overtures,  an  attested  copy  of  their  proceedings,  relative 
to  this  interesting  matter. 

At  that  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly,  Mr.  Finley 
appeared,  to  explain  and  advocate  this  overtured  meas- 
ure, and  to  render  it,  if  practicable,  a  grand  characteris- 
tic feature  of  our  ecclesiastical  system,  by  obtaining  for 
it  the  approbation  and  adoption  of  the  supreme  judicato- 
ry in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  His  highest  hopes  were 
realized.  The  proposed  measure  speedily  obtained  the 
sanction  of  universal  suffrage  in  the  General  Assembly, 
and  was  recommendedf  to  all  the  Presbyteries  and  Con- 
scripture  proofs  annexed,  but  be  added  to  it,  and  raake  a  leading  feature  in  the 
course  of  religious  education.  Resolved,  that  an  attested  copy  of  the  above  re- 
port be  transmitted  by  the  stated  clerk,  to  the  committee  of  overtures  of  the  next 
General  Assembly." 

*  The  Rev.  John  M'Dowell,  D.  D.  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  congregation  at 
Elizabeth-Town,  who,  in  addition  to  the  other  numerous  and  insportant  services 
rendered  to  the  interests  of  religion,  for  many  years  served  the  Synod  in  that 
office,  with  distinguished  ability  and  universal  approbation. 

f  The  decision  of  the  General  Assembly  on  this  subject,  contained  in  their 
printed  extracts  for  the  year  !81G,  is  in  the  following  words: 

"  The  committee  to  which  was  referred  the  overture  from  the  Synod  of  New- 
York  and  New-Jersey,  on  forming  classes  of  young  people,  for  studying  and  reci- 
ting the  Bible,  reported  :  and  their  report,  being  read  and  amended,  was  adopted, 
and  is  as  follows  :  viz : — 

"  That  they  consider  this  subject  of  great  importance,  and  deserving  the  attf  n» 
tion  and  earnest  recommendatioa  of  the  Assemblv  •  therefore, 


64  MEMOIRS  OF 

gregations  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  to  be  adopted 
and  observed. 

"  Rejolved,  1st,  That  It  be  recommended  earnestly,  to  tlie  niinisters  and  ses- 
sions which  are  in  connecUon  with  the  General  Assembly,  to  pay  a  special  atten- 
tion to  this  subject,  and  provide  without  delay,  for  the  stated  instruction  of  the 
children  and  youth  in  the  sacred  scriptui  es,  within  their  respective  congregations. 

"2d.  That  although  the  particular  manner  of  instruction  and  recitation  iu  the 
Gongreg?<tions,  ought  to  be  left  to  the  discretion  of  their  noinisters  and  sessions 
respectively,  yet  as  some  degree  of  uniformity  is  desirable,  in  a  business  of  so 
much  magnitude,  it  is  recommeHded,  as  the  most  effectual  means  of  promoting 
the  knowledge  of  the  holy  scriptures,  that,  in  all  our  churches,  classes  be  formed 
of  the  youth,  to  recite  the  scriptures  in  regular  order  ;  that  the  recitations,  it  con- 
venient, be  as  often  as  once  a  week,  and  from  two  to  five  chapters  appointed  for 
each  recitation ;  that  the  youth  mav  be  examined  on  • 

"  1st.  The  history  of  the  world,  but  more  esppciallv  of  the  Church  of  God,  and 
of  the  heathen  nations  who  were  God's  agents  in  accomplishing  his  purposes  to- 
wards his  church. 

*'2d.  Persons  noted  for  their  piety  or  ungodliness,  and  the  effects  of  their  ex- 
ample in  promoting  or  injuring  the  best  interests  of  mankind. 

"  3d.  Doctrines  and  precepts,  or  '  what  man  is  to  believe  concerning  God,  and 
what  duty  God  requires  of  man.' 

"  4th.  Positive  ordinances,  or  the  direction  which  God  has  ^iven,  as  to  the 
way  in  which  he  is  to  be  worsliipped  acceptably. 

"  5th.  The  particular  features  of  character  of  which  the  Spirit  of  God  has  given 
notice,  both  in  wicked  and  good  persons  ;  in  the  last  particularly  regarding  those 
who  were  types  of  Christ,  and  in  what  the  typical  resemblance  consisted. 

*'  6th.  The  gradual  increase  from  time  to  time,  of  information  concerning  the 
doctrines  contained  in  the  scriptures;  noting  the  admirable  adaptation  of  every 
new  revelation  of  doctrine,  to  the  increased  maturity  of  the  church.  The  nature 
of  God's  law;  its  immutability,  as  constituting  an  everlasting  rule  of  right  and 
wrong;  the  full  and  perfect  illustration  of  its  precepts,  given  by  Christ. 

"7th.  The  change  which  God  has  made  from  time  to  time  in  positive  ordinan- 
ces, together  with  the  reasons  of  that  change.  The  difference  between  the  moral 
law,  and  those  laws  which  are  positive. 

"  8th.  The  illustration  of  the  divine  perfections,  in  the  history,  biography, 
doctrines  and  precepts,  together  with  the  positive  ordinances  of  the  scriptures. 

"  9th.  The  practical  lessons  to  regulate  our  conduct  in  the  various  relations  of 
life. 

"On  all  these  particulars,  the  meaning  of  the  words  used  in  scripture  must  be 
ascertained,  that  thus  we  may  understand  what  we  read. 

"Resolved,  3d,  That  the  Presbyteries  under  the  care  of  the  Assembly,  be  di. 
reeled  to  take  order  on  this  subject ;  and  they  are  hereby  informed,  that  this  is 
not  to  come  iu  the  place  of  learning  the  Catechisms  of  our  church,  but  be  added 
to  it,  as  an  important  branch  of  religions  education." 


DR.     FINLEI.  65 

Mr.  Finley  was  so  fully  persuaded  of  the  importance 
and  excellence^  of  such  a  system  of  pious  instruction, 
and  so  fully  determined  to  try  its  practical  utility,  what- 
ever should  be  the  result  of  the  contemplated  applica- 
tions to  the  judicatories  of  the  church,  that  immediately 
after  he  had  digested  the  plan  in  his  own  mind,  he  com- 
menced a  course  of  biblical  instruction,  among  the 
youth  of  his  own  congregation.  This  first  effort  was 
made,  at  Basking  Ridje,  in  the  spring  of  1815,  and  about 
two  months  preceding  the  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  of 
New-Brunswick,  at  which  the  overture  to  the  Synod 
was  prepared.  Mr.  Finley  had  the  unspeakable  satis- 
faction to  see  the  Lord  smiling  upon  his  favourite  plan 
of  instruction,  and  the  divine  benediction  descending 
upon  its  incipient  operations,  in  a  very  remarkable  man- 
ner. 

The  prospects  of  this  congregation,  as  to  spiritual  in- 
crease and  comfort,  were  now  again  greatly  brightened, 
by  an  extraordinary  communication  from  the  Father  of 
lights  and  mercies.  It  pleased  the  King  of  Zion  to  bow 
his  heavens,  come  down,  and  renew  his  operations  there, 
in  a  very  special  and  effectual  manner. 

The  youth,  residing  principally  about  the  village, 
who  had  been  formed  into  a  class  for  the  purpose  oi 
prosecuting  the  Bible  study,  and  who  had,  for  some 
months  previous,  given  careful  and  diligent  attention  to 
the  course  of  instruction  prescribed,  were  the  first  that 
felt  this  heavenly  impulse.  And  the  circumstances  of 
the  case  were  such,  as  to  produce  a  full  belief,  that  the 
Bible  study,  so  recently  introduced,  had  been  very  ex- 

•  See  note  K,  at  the  close. 
9 


66  MEMOIRS  OF 

tensively,  if  not  exclusively  instrumental,'^  in  producing 
this  unexpected  and  most  animating  excitement.  The 
evidences  of  this  gracious  work,  were  first  exhibited  in 
a  prayer  meeting,  which  had  been  instituted  some  time 
previous,  and  observed  on  Sabbath  mornings,  before  the 
hour  of  divine  service.  This  society,  after  having  ap- 
peared to  diminish  in  number,  and  to  decline  in  zeal, 
was  observed  to  increase  suddenly,  so  much,  that  a  lar- 
ger room  than  that  usually  occupied  became  necessary. 
It  was  at  one  of  these  Sabbath  morning  meetings,  that 
the  presence  and  power  of  the  Lord  Avere  very  clearly 
manifested.  Nearly  the  whole  school,  a  large  number 
of  young  persons  belonging  to  the  vicinity,  and  a  pro- 
miscuous assemblage,  of  all  ages  and  circumstances, 
were  present.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  descended  upon 
them,  as  a  refreshing  mighty  wind,  and  filled  the  house 
with  his  presence.  A  considerable  number  of  those 
present,  who  had  been  till  then  careless,  were  filled 
with  deep  convictions  of  sin,  and  concern  for  salvation. 
A  solemn  impression  was  made  on  many  minds,  and  a 
seriousness  very  unusual  was  spread  over  the  whole  as- 
sembly. During  this  interesting  scene,  Mr.  Finley  was 
absent  from  home,  and  without  the  least  thought  of  what 
was  taking  place  there.  On  his  return,  after  a  short  ab- 
sence, and  receiving  information  of  what  had  occurred, 

*  In  a  report,  by  Dr.  Green,  President  of  the  College  of  New-Jersey,  on  the 
subject  of  the  revival  of  religion  which  took  place  in  that  institution,  1813,  the 
study  of  the  holy  scriptures  is  assigned,  as  one  of  its  chief  "  instrumental  causes.'* 
See  this  report,  &c.  published  by  B.  B.  Hopkins,  Philadelphia,  1315.  To  the 
same  instrumental  cause,  in  a  very  great  degree,  are  to  be  attributed,  several 
powerful  and  txtensive  awakenings,  recently  experienced  in  the  Presbyterian 
church,  in  the  state  of  New- Jersey,  in  the  stale  of  New-York,  and  in  other  dis- 
tricts of  our  country,  where  the  system  proposed  by  the  General  Assembly  has 
been  introduced. 


DR.  FINLEF.  67 

mingled  emotions  of  wonder,  joy  and  praise,  almost 
overwhelmed  his  spirit.  His  first  interview  with  some 
trembling-,  anxious  youth,  belonging  to  his  school,  who 
came  to  him  for  direction  and  relief,  was  extremely  af- 
fecting. His  tender  sensibilities  were  so  much  excited, 
that  he  was  at  first  unable  to  speak. 

The  spirit  of  this  man  of  God  became  now  again  deep- 
ly stirred  within  him,  and  he  was  enabled  to  make  an- 
other great  and  effectual  effort  for  the  promotion  of  the 
Redeemer's  kingdom,  among  that  people. 

A  season  of  deep  conviction  and  anxious  inquiry^ 
among  sinners,  now  ensued.  This  work  of  grace  pro- 
gressed, in  a  silent  and  hidden  manner.  It  spread  grad- 
ually, and  almost  imperceptibly,  in  every  direction, 
from  the  region  of  the  church,  where  it  commenced,  to 
the  extremities  of  the  congregation.  The  impressions, 
which  were  most  powerful  and  alarming,  seemed  to  pro- 
duce, in  general,  no  audible  out-cry,  nor  any  very  strik- 
ing and  visible  emotions;  but  multitudes  of  careless  sin- 
ners were  filled  with  solemn  concern,  and  the  people 
of  God  were  deeply  affected  and  moved,  by  the  quick- 
ening influences  sent  down  from  on  high.  While  the 
awakening  was  extending,  with  a  steady  and  uniform 
pace,  in  every  direction  Mr.  Finley  endeavoured  to  lead 
its  way  and  to  aid  its  progress,  by  abundant  and  unweari- 
ed labours.  He  preached  from  house  to  house,  in  season 
and  out  of  season,  with  a  vehemence,  a  frequency  and  a 
perseverance,  truly  astonishing,  almost  incredible.  His 
discourses  were  usually  long,  powerful  and  alarming.  His 
voice,  his  words  and  his  manner,  sometimes,  like  light- 
ning, seemed  to  strike  the  guilty  to  the  floor:  sometimes 
his  public  addresses  were  of  the  most  tender,  pathetic 
and  melting  kind.     In  the  course  of  this  out-pouring  of 


^8  MEMOIRS  OF 

the  Divine  Spirit,  he  preached  in  a  few  instances  foui; 
times  a  day;  not  unfrequently  nine  times  a  week  ;  and 
for  months  together,  on  an  average,  once  in  twenty-four 
hours.  His  whole  heart  and  spirit  seemed  to  be  concen- 
trated and  absorbed  ill  this  great  business.  He  appeared 
verily  to  lose  sight  of  himself,  of  his  academic  engage- 
ments, of  his  domestic  concerns,  of  his  personal  ease, 
and  of  every  interest,  but  the  everlasting  interests  of 
perishing  sinners,  and  the  glory  of  God.  He  visited 
from  family  to  family,  with  the  familiarity  and  affection 
of  a  friend  and  father.  He  advised,  instructed  and  en- 
treated the  thoughtless  and  secure  in  sin,  with  prayers  to 
God  and  many  tears,  to  seek  the  Saviour.  He  perform- 
ed these  duties,  with  an  importunity  and  solemnity  of 
mind,  fully  convincing  every  beholder,  that  he  felt  his 
awful  responsibility;  watching  for  souls,  and  treating 
with  sinners,  on  the  subject  of  their  eternal  welfare,  as 
an  ambassador  of  the  great  God. 

The  following  interesting  letter,  from  a  young  gen- 
tleman, residing  at  Basking  Ridge  during  this  revival,  to  a 
respectable  lady,  who  had  requested  information  on  this 
subject,  is  introduced,  and  will  be  read  with  pleasure  : 

''Basking  Ridge,  30th  Sept,  1815. 
"  Respected  Madam, 

*'I  now  comply  with  your  request,  made  through 
Mr.  G.  You  may  justly  accuse  me  of  negligence,  in 
omitting  thus  long  to  write.  When  I  saw  Mr.  G.  the 
work  was  in  its  first  stages,  and  I  thought  proper  to 
delay  a  few  weeks,  that  I  might  be  enabled  to  give  you 
a  more  satisfactory  statement. 

"  The  blessed  work  of  the  out-pouring  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  which  has  at  length  spread  through  dilTerent  part? 


BR.  FINLEY.  6S 

of  this  congregation,  first  commenced  in  our  academy. 
In  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  June,  Mr.  Finley 
preached  a  sermon  address-d  partimlarly  to  the  youth. 
Although  perhaps  a  more  than  ordinary  attention  was 
observable  on  that  day,  yet  two  weeks  elapsed  before  it 
was  known  that  any  were  seriously  awakened;  when  it 
was  discovered  that  two  young  men  of  our  school 
were  deeply  impressed  with  a  sense  of  divine  things. 
Impressions  on  the  hearts  of  othejs,  as  was  afterwards 
discovered,  were  gradually  increasing,  who  did  not  for 
several  days  subsequent  to  this,  manifest  it ;  until  one  of 
the  young  men,  who  had  been  disposed  to  speak  lightly 
of  the  work,  and  scoff  at  the  idea  that  his  school- 
fellows were  becoming  religious,  was,  while  at  his 
lodgings,  suddenly  arrested  with  an  awful  apprehen- 
sion of  the  danger  of  his  state,  while  out  of  Christ.  This 
had  considerable  effect  with  those  who  had  taken  part 
with  him  in  his  folly.  Thus  the  number  of  the  subjects 
of  the  work  was  increasing,  until  it  became  so  powerful, 
that  we  were  induced  to  hope  for  a  time,  that  almost  the 
whole  school  was  pressing  into  the  kingdom  of  our  Sa- 
viour. The  greater  part  of  the  school,  which  consists 
of  about  forty-five,  were  in  a  greater  or  less  degree 
awakened.  What  a  blessed  prospect  was  then  before 
us !  How^  pleasing  to  see  children  of  tender  age,  laying 
aside  their  childish  sports,  and  to  hear  them  inquiring 
for  their  Saviour!  Compassionate  Redeemer!  thou 
canst  out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings,  perfect 
praise ! 

"We  lament  that  impressions  have  worn  off  with  ma- 
ny. But  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Most  High,  that 
about  nine  of  their  number  have  obtained  a  comfortable 
hope,  that  they  have  been  made  the  subjects  of  regene- 


70  MEMOIRS  OF 

rating  grace.  We  have  strong  confidence  to  hope  in 
God,  that  the  seed  sown  in  the  hearts  of  many  others, 
will  yet  spring  up,  and  bear  the  fruit  of  eternal  life. 
Oh !  Divine  Spirit,  perfect  thy  work  in  the  hearts  of 
those  where  thou  hast  commenced  it ;  begin  where  it  is 
not  yet  begun  ;  and  bring  them  all  into  the  fold  of  Christ. 

"  This  blessed  work,  which  for  some  time  was  confin- 
ed to  the  academy,  has  at  length  spread  into  various 
parts  of  the  congregation.  It  is  still,  we  hope,  gradual- 
ly extending.  About  thirty  persons,  including  those  of 
the  school,  have  hopefully  been  converted  to  the  Sa- 
viour. Nearly  seventy  others  are  supposed  to  be  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree  awakened.  Mr.  Finley  labours 
with  unwearied  diligence.  We  have  praying  societies 
every  evening  in  the  week,  many  of  which  Mr.  Finley 
attends.  This  wxek,  besides  the  regular  services  of  the 
Sabbath,  he  has  preached  seven  times.  Last  evening 
we  had  a  very  interesting  meeting.  God,  by  his  Spirit, 
appeared  to  be  sensibly  near. 

"  What  cause  of  rejoicing,  to  the  friends  of  the  Re- 
deemer's kingdom  in  this  place,  for  this  gracious  visita- 
tion from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  This  is  a  highly 
favoured  people.  Madam,  unite  your  prayers  with 
ours,  for  the  still  greater  effusions  of  the  spirit  of  grace. 
Yea,  blessed  Saviour,  ride  forth  in  the  majesty  of  thy 
gospel,  and  let  this  be  a  rich  harvest  of  the  precious 
fruits  of  eternal  life,  a  glorious  in-gathering  of  precious 
souls  to  thyself !" 

During  this  season  of  revival,  which  continued  about 
eight  months,  Mr.  Finley  formed  and  executed  a  reso- 
lution, to  visit  personally,  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel, 
not  only  all  the  households  belonging  strictly  to  his  ex- 


DR.  FINLEY.  71 

tensive  charge,  but  the  great  number  of  families,  living 
in  the  mountainous  and  barren  out-skirts  of  his  congre- 
gation, more  particularly  on  the  northwest  and  south- 
west borders.  This  brought  upon  him,  in  a  cold  and 
inclement  season,  a  great  increase  of  labour  and  hard- 
ship, which  he  endured  cheerfull}^  To  the  prosecution 
of  this  enterprise  of  benevolence,  he  devoted  those  sea- 
sons which  he  could  redeem  from  the  pressure  of  servi- 
ces and  cares  nearer  home.  Thus  he  endeavoured  to 
hunt  out  the  poor  and  ignorant  in  their  retired  dwelling 
places,  to  rouse  them  to  a  sense  of  sin  and  danger,  and  to 
convey  to  their  houses  and  hearts,  the  glad  tidings  of 
pardon  and  salvation,  through  the  blood  of  Christ.  On 
these  tours  of  compassion,  he  spent  in  the  whole,  at 
different  times,  about  two  months,  during  the  winter  of 
1815-16.  Sometimes  he  set  out  on  foot,  and  travelled 
onward  for  three  or  four  days,  instructing"^  and  praying 
in  the  families  that  successively  fell  in  his  way.  Wher- 
ever he  could  assemble  a  sufficient  number,  even  a  small 

*  In  one  of  Mr.  Finley's  visits  to  a  remote  part  of  his  congregation,  he  called 
at  a  habitation,  where  the  head  of  the  family  was  absent.  lie  soon  entered  into 
eonversauon  with  the  mistress  of  the  house,  whom  he  found  at  home.  She  ap- 
peared to  be  highly  pleased  with  having  an  opportunity  of  conversing  on  religious 
subjects,  and  with  much  apparent  warm  h  and  zeal,  expressed  the  most  sincere 
love  to  God,  and  the  greatest  desire  to  be  devoted  to  him.  After  the  conversa- 
tion ended,  Mr.  Finley  called  to  him  one  of  her  children,  who  was  in  the  house, 
and  asked  him  some  of  those  questions  which  are  generally  very  familiar  to  chil- 
<iren  who  have  been  religiously  educated,  such  as,  who  made  you  ?  of  what 
were  you  made  I'  who  is  the  Redeemer  of  men  :*  He  found  that  the  child  was  un- 
able to  answer  any  question  of  this  kind,  and  had  received  no  instruction  from  his 
parents  in  the  first  principles  of  religion.  He  then  turned  to  the  woman,  and  in 
a  tone  of  indignation,  addressed  her :  "  Woman,  is  this  your  love  to  God  ?  How 
is  it  possible  that  you  love  God,  when  you  neglect  to  teach  your  children  any 
thing  about  him .!"'  &c.  He  continued  his  observations,  until  she  became  much 
affected,  and  to  appearance  deeply  impressea. 


72  MEMOIRS  OF 

group,  he  spent  some  time  in  preaching  and  talking  to 
them  on  the  momentous  concerns  of  eternity.^ 

In  the  course  of  these  missionary  excursions,  he  found 
more  than  fifty  families,  totally  destitute  of  the  sacred 
scriptures.  Some  of  these  families,  he  supplied  imme- 
diately, from  the  small  stock  of  Bibles,  Testaments  and 
Tracts  he  usually  took  with  him  on  these  journeys,  and 
to  the  others,  he  took  measures  as  soon  as  possible,  to 
furnish  the  word  of  life.f  These  labours  of  love,  which 
he  accomplished  with  no  inconsiderable  exposure  and 
fatigue,  afforded  his  own  heart  much  satisfaction,  and 
he  had  reason  to  believe,  were  productive  of  extensive 
benefit  to  many  individuals  and  families. 

While  his  expanded  benevolence  and  zeal  embraced 
the  poor  and  miserable  in  the  extreme  limits,  and  even 
beyond  the  confines  of  his  immediate  charge,  he  w  as  in- 
flamed with  most  warm  desires,  and  employed,  as  far  as 

*  It  was  often  difficult  to  provide  agreeable  accommodations  for  the  people  that 
attended,  and  the  business  6f  preparing  seats,  in  some  instances,  fell  principally 
upon  himself.  Once  in  particular,  rather  than  expose  the  audience  to  the  incon- 
venience and  fatigue  of  standing  to  receive  his  instructions,  after  the  people  be- 
gan to  assemble,  he  took  down  the  loose  boards  which  composed  the  second  floor 
of  the  house,  and  made  seats  of  them  on  chairs  and  benches,  with  his  own  hands, 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  assembling  multitude. 

f  Mr.  Finley  was  in  the  practice  of  giving  Bibles,  occasionally  at  his  own  ex- 
pense, to  the  poor,  whom  he  discovered  to  be  destitute,  before  the  Bible  Socie- 
ties of  this  state  commenced  their  operations.  A  pastor  of  a  congregation,  con- 
tiguous to  that  of  Basking  Ridge,  on  visiting  some  families,  in  low  circum- 
stances, living  near  the  limits  of  these  respective  congregations,  offered  a  poor 
German  a  Bible,  supposing  him  to  have  none ;  to  which  the  German  replied, 
"  You  and  Finley  makes  me  one  very  good  man,  or  gives  me  one  very  het  hell; 
for  Finley  gives  me  a  Bible  many  jears  ago." 


DR.  FINLEY.  73 

possible,  the  most  vigorous  efforts,*'  to  carrj^  on  the  work 
of  grace,  which  continued  in  some  measure  to  progress, 
in  the  interior  of  his  congregation,  till  the  ensuing 
spring.  Of  the  impressions,  which  had  been  experien- 
ced, those  among  the  youth,  were  found  in  general,  to 

*  Mr.  Pinley's  exertions  were  necessarily  moderated  towards  spring,  on  ac- 
count of  the  exhausted  and  reduced  state  of  his  health.  The  following  extract  from 
a  letter  to  a  very  respectable  friend  in  the  city  of  New- York,  received  since 
writing  the  above,  will  support  and  illustrate  this  remark  and  other  parts  of  the 
preceding  statement  :— 

"  Basking  Ridge,  February  14,  1816, 
"  Dear  Sir, 

*'  Our  past  intercourse  which  I  found  oftentimes  so  satisfactory,  often  occurs  to 
ray  remembrance,  and  excites  a  wish  that  circumstances  could  admit  me  to  keep 
upthe  same  intercourse  we  once  enjoyed.  But  so  it  is,  that  the  business  of  each  day 
and  its  cares  are  sufficient  and  often  more  than  sufficient  for  itself,  and  though  the 
spirit  is  willing,  it  seems  impossible  to  do  what  would  be  desirable  to  my  old 
friends. 

"  It  was  a  matter  of  regret  that  when  A was  here,  he  gave  me  so  little  of 

his  company.  Oh  !  could  we  but  love  our  Saviour  as  we  ought,  we  should  soon 
have  our  place,  where  no  distance  would  ever  separate  us  from  our  friends. 

"  The  revival  of  religion  in  this  place  languishes  and  declines,  owing  in  the  way 
of  means  to  my  being  unable  to  pursue  the  work  with  much  vigour.  The  great 
fatigues  through  which  I  went  during  the  summer  and  fall,  in  the  end  affected  my 
nervous  system  greatly  and  weakened  my  strength,  in  the.  nay.  Still  I  preach 
about  three  times  a  week,  besides  the  Sabbath,  and  my  number  of  hearers  is  great. 
New  awakenings  have  not  lately  occurred,  but  some  of  those  who  have  been  long 
awakened,  are  from  time  to  time  brought  into  the  city  of  refuge.  The  Lord 
grant  me  a  little  more  strength  of  body  and  mind  to  go  on  and  try  to  serve  Him, 
the  remnant  of  an  unprofitable  life.  In  my  late  attempts  to  serve  God,  it  ap- 
pears to  me  there  has  been  less  of  self  than  on  some  former  occasions.  The  little 
acquaintance  I  have  had  with  revivals  of  religion,  and  the  great  experience  I 
have  had  of  spiritual  pride,  induced  me  to  make  ike  observations.,  whicli  you  noti. 
eed  last  fall  in  the  Synod,  relative  to  passing  ■p^iblic  encomiums  on  the  female  pray- 
ing societies.  Concerning  the  societies,  I  never  had  but  one  opinion,  and  that 
was  in  their  favour  : — but  one  desire,  the  Lord  increase  their  number  and  their 
spirit  of  prayer. 

"  We  all  send  our  love  to  Mrs.  ,  my  daughters  remember  jours  affection- 
ately, and  with  great  respect  and  esteem, 

"  1  am.  Dear  Sir,  Yours, 

"  ROBFJIT  FINLEY/' 

10 


74  MEMOIRS  OF 

be  most  deep  and  permanent.  And  the  individuals,  who 
received  comfort  from  God,  in  their  spiritual  concerns, 
and  in  due  season,  obtained  admission  to  the  communion 
of  his  church,  as  the  fruits  of  this  merciful  visitation, 
amounting  in  the  whole  to  about  fifty-five,  were  chiefly 
in  the  morning  of  life.  Of  these,  a  considerable  number 
v/ere  students  in  the  academy.  Some,  who  at  first 
made  light  of  this  sacred  work,  became  subjects  of  di- 
vine inuuence,  and  very  early  gave  evidence  of  a  gra- 
cious change.  So  general  and  so  strong  were  the  spir- 
itual impulse  and  fervor,  in  this  institution,  that  a  prayer 
meeting  was  established  and  observed  regularly  with 
great  seriousness,  among  the  members  of  the  school 
themselves.  Several  young  men  of  good  talents,  be- 
came hopefully  pious,  during  this  day  of  divine  power, 
and  are  contemplating  the  ministry  of  the  gospel,  as  the 
end  of  their  studies  and  the  desire  of  their  hearts. 

In  the  spring  of  eighteen  hundred  and  sixteen,  the 
congregation  returned  to  its  ordinary  state,  which  af- 
forded to  Mr.  Finley,  a  season  of  comparative  repose, 
very  imperiously  called  for,  by  the  impaired  state  of  his 
health.  The  ordinar}^  labours  he  prescribed  for  himself, 
and  faithfully  discharged  without  intermission,  having 
been  very  extensive,  and  the  seasons  of  excitement  and 
revival,  in  which  he  made  inconceivable  exertion,  hav- 
ing been  quite  numerous — it  was  to  be  expected  not- 
withstanding the  uncommon  strength  and  vitality  of  his 
frame,  that  the  vigour  of  his  constitution  and  animation  of 
his  spirit,  would  feel  the  effect.  At  several  periods,  pre- 
vious to  his  last  great  effort^  in  the  service  of  God,  the 
stability  of  his  health,  appeared  to  be  considerably  sha- 
ken ;  so  that  relaxation  from  labour  and  invigoration 
by  travelling,  became  necessary  :  but  his  parochial  and 


DR.   FINLEy.  75 

domestic  ties  would  not  permit  him  to  make  excursions, 
so  extensive  and  elilcacious,  as  the  condition  of  his 
nerves  demanded. 

The  joy  he  experienced  at  this  period  at  seeing  the 
church  open  her  bosom  to  receive,  to  a  participation  in 
her  privileg-es  and  hopes,  more  than  fifty  returning  prod- 
igals, who  presented  themselves  together  in  the  aisle  to 
devote  themselves  to  the  Lord,  did  not  repair  the  rava- 
ges of  intense  exertion,  severe  exposures,  sleepless 
nights,  and  incessant  anxieties,  encountered  through  the 
preceding  winter.  Probabh^,  at  this  period  the  founda- 
tion of  that  disease  was  laid,  which  prematurely  termi- 
nated his  course  of  usefulness  and  honour  in  the  church 
below.  His  nervous  system  presented  evidences  of 
great  debility  and  disorder.  Still  he  gave  nature  very 
little  opportunity  to  recover  her  wasted  energy,  either 
by  a  suspension  of  labour  or  by  a  resort  to  efficient  re- 
storatives. He  generally  increased  his  exertions  when 
at  home,  to  compensate  for  his  short  occasional  absences, 
for  the  benefit  of  his  health.  In  this  manner  he  passed 
away  the  summer  of  1816,  and  on  the  return  of  cool  and 
bracing  weather,  his  constitution  appeared  to  be  much 
invigorated,  and  his  health,  on  the  whole  improved. 

About  this  period  Mr.  Finley  began  to  disclose  with 
freedom,  to  his  friends  and  to  the  public,  the  outlines  of 
the  noble  and  benevolent  scheme,  in  behalf  of  the  free 
people  of  colour  in  the  United  States,  which  his  capa- 
cious and  philanthropic  mind  had  been  for  some  years 
meditating  and  maturing  and  which  he  prosecuted  with 
his  characteristic  zeal  and  perseverance  until  principally 
through  his  instrumentality,  the  Colonization  Society  at 
Washington  was  formed,  December  2t%  181^. 


76  MEMOIRS  OF 

The  day,  which  gave  birth  to  this  institution  commen- 
ces a  new  era  in  the  history  of  the  abolition  of  African 
bondage  and  vice,  degradation  and  misery,  in  the  Amer- 
can  Republic.  It  opens  a  widely  extended  field  for 
noble  ambition  and  enterprise  in  the  march  of  American 
benevolence. =^  The  man,  that  conceived  this  benefi- 
cent plan,  or  in  any  considerable  degree  excited  the  im- 
pulse and  directed  the  movements,  which  resulted  in  the 
formation  of  the  society  above  referred  to,  let  the  sys- 
tem prosper  or  perish,  deserves  to  be  placed  with  Clark- 
son  and  Wilberforce  among  the  distinguished  lovers  and 
benefactors  of  mankind.  Finley,  in  the  hands  of  God, 
is  believed  to  have  been  that  man. 

The  unhappy  circumstances  of  the  free  people  of  col- 
our, in  our  country,  early  attracted  his  attention  and 
deeply  impressed  his  mind.  Their  lamentable  condi- 
tion and  their  gloomy  prospects  presented  themselves  to 
his  view,  and  took  a  strong  hold  of  his  humane  sensibil- 
ities. There  exists  satisfactory  evidence,  that  his  mind 
had  been  occupied  a  considerable  time,  in  endeavour- 
ing to  devise  some  plan  that  would  afford  relief  to  these 
unfortunate,  oppressed,  and  miserable  exiles,  before  he 
gave  publicity  to  his  views  of  the  subject.  In  the  year 
1814,  he  addressed  a  letter  to  a  very  particular  friend  in 
Philadelphia,  a  man  of  intelligence,  distinction  and  pie- 
ty, unbosoming  to  him  his  thoughts  on  this  subject,  man- 
ifesting his  own  full  persuasion  of  its  high  importance, 
and  soliciting  his  friend's  opinion  and  influence,  in  rela- 
tion to  it. 

The  following  extract,  of  a  letter  addressed,  to  John 
i*.  Mumford,  Esq.  of  the  city  of  New-York,  by  his  friend 

*  See  Note  h 


DR.  FINLEV.  77 

Mr.  Finley,  exhibits  some  of  his  early  views  and  opera- 
tions, in  regard  to  this  matter  : — 

''  Basking  Ridge,  February  14,  1816. 
"Mr.  John  P.  Mumford, 

"Dear  Sir, — The  longer  I  live  to  see  the  wretch- 
edness of  men,  the  more  I  admire  the  virtue  of  those, 
Avho  devise  and  with  patient  sacrifice  labour  to  execute 
plans  for  the  relief  of  the  wretched.  On  this  subject 
the  state  of  the/r<?e  blacks  has  very  much  occupied  my 
mind.  Their  number  increases  greatly,  and  their 
wretchedness  too  as  appears  to  me.  Every  thing  con- 
nected with  their  condition,  including  their  colour,  is 
against  them ;  nor  is  there  much  prospect  that  their 
state  can  ever  be  greatly  ameliorated,  while  they  shall 
continue  among  us.  Could  not  the  rich  and  benevolent 
devise  means  to  form  a  colon]/  on  some  part  of  Africa, 
similar  to  the  one  at  Sierra  Leone,  which  might  gradual- 
ly induce  many  free  blacks  to  go  and  settle,  devising  for 
them  the  means  of  getting  there,  and  of  protection  and 
support,  till  they  were  established  T  Ought  not  Congress 
to  be  petitioned  to  grant  them  a  district  in  a  good  cli- 
mate, say  on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  ? — Our  fa- 
thers brought  them  here,  and  we  are  bound  if  possible  to 
repair  the  injuries  inflicted  by  our  fathers.  Could  they 
be  sent  back  to  Africa,  a  three-fold  benefit  would  arise. 
We  should  be  cleared  of  them  : — we  should  send  to  Af- 
rica a  population  partially  civilized  and  christianized  for 
its  benefit: — our  blacks  themselves  would  be  put  in  a 
better  situation.  Think  much  on  this  subject — then 
please  write  to  me  when  you  have  leisure. 
"  I  am.  Dear  Sir,  Yours, 

"ROBERT  FINLEY." 


?S  JMEMOIKS  OF 

When  the  ensuing  spring  opened  he  became  more  ex- 
tensively interested  in  this  subject,  more  free  in  commu- 
nicating his  views  of  it,  and  more  active  in  endeavour- 
ing, by  conversation  and  correspondence,  to  engage  in 
its  favour,  persons  of  talents,  wealth  and  piety,  in  church 
and  state.  Througli  the  following  summer,  in  general, 
and  especially,  in  his  occasional  excursions  from  home, 
and  interviews  with  his  brethren  in  the  ministry,  this 
subject  appeared  to  be  uniformly  uppermost  in  his 
thoughts,  and  was  the  chief  topic  of  his  conversation. 
In  his  applications  to  individuals  for  advice  and  assist- 
ance, he  met  with  very  little  direct  opposition.  The 
gentlemen  with  whom  he  had  intercourse,  in  relation  to 
this  object,  in  general  approved  the  plan  so  far  as  it  was 
then  understood — but,  at  the  same  time,  a  general  im- 
pression prevailed,  that  the  whole  scheme,  though  be- 
nevolent and  noble,  was  visionary  and  impracticable. 
The  subject  in  general  which  he  had  deeply  considered, 
and  the  opinions  of  his  friends  whom  he  had  consulted, 
furnished  so  much  encouragement,  that  he  resolved  to 
make  a  great  effort  to  carry  his  benevolent  views  into 
effect.  An  important  question  was  then  to  be  decided  : 
in  what  place  and  in  what  manner  would  it  be  best  to 
commence  active  operations  in  pursuing  the  proposed 
object  ?  In  contemplating  this  preliminary  inquiry  and 
in  making  additional  preparatory  arrangements,  he  spent 
a  considerable  part  of  the  fall  of  1816.  Towards  the 
close  of  November,  he  became  determined  to  test  the 
popularity  and  in  some  measure  the  practicability  of  the 
whole  system,  by  introducing  the  subject  to  public  no- 
tice, at  the  city  of  Washington.  The  contemplated 
plan  appeared  to  him  to  be  so  vast  in  its  nature  and  so 
difficult  of  attainment — the  interest  involved  in  it  so  nu- 


DR.  FINLEV.    *  79 

nierous,  extensive  and  complicated,  that  be  was  persua- 
ded it  could  be  carried  into  effect  only  by  being  made  an 
object  of  national  patronage. 

After  endeavouring  some  time  to  obtain  for  it,  friends 
and  advocates  in  his  native  state,  and  in  the  cities  of 
New-York  and  Philadelphia,  he  resolved  to  bring  the 
subject  forward  in  the  metropolis  of  the  nation,  there 
to  communicate  his  own  views,  to  learn  the  sentiments 
and  as  far  as  might  be,  direct  the  opinions  of  others,  and 
if  practicable  procure  a  deliberate,  intelligent  and  sol- 
emn decision  in  its  favour,  inageneral  meeting  of  the  citi- 
zens of  that  place,  of  the  members  of  Congress  and  of 
the  enlightened  individuals  convened  there  from  every 
part  of  our  country.  His  mind  was  intensely  devoted 
to  this  object,  and  filled  with  anxious  desires  for  the  fa- 
vourable result  of  this  great  experiment.  He  felt  that 
he  was  about  to  agitate  a  delicate,  interesting  and  im- 
portant subject :  and  as  to  bold  and  decisive  exertions 
in  its  support  he  view^ed  himself,  at  this  moment  as  al- 
most alone. 

Had  he  been  acquainted  with  Mr.  Jefferson's  letter 
on  this  subject,  written  to  a  friend  by  request  in  1811, 
but  never  made  public  till  1818,  the  sentiments  of  that 
distinguished  citizen  would  have  afforded  him  much 
encouragement.  Had  he  possessed  a  knowledge  of  the 
transactions,  in  relation  to  the  free  blacks  of  Virginia, 
which  had  taken  place,  previously  in  the  Legislature  of 
that  Commonwealth — this  might  reasonably  have  led 
him  to  expect  aid  from  that  quarter,  and  would  have  in- 
spired him  with  increased  confidence  in  his  contempla- 
ted measures.  But  of  the  former  he  could  have  receiv- 
ed no  intimation ;  and  if  he  possessed  any  information 
of  the  latter,  it  must  have  been  very  imperfect.     He 


80  MExMOIRS  OF 

i  considered  himself,   and  was  considered  by  his  friends 
its  devising  a  plan  hitherto  unthonght  of. 

Under  these  circumstances  and  with  these  views,  Mr. 
Finley  set  off  for  Washington  towards  the  close  of  No- 
vember, 1816.  The  following  communications  from 
highly  respectable  gentlemen  residing  in  the  District  of 
Columbia  will  give  a  comprehensive,  judicious  and  can- 
did view  of  Mr.  Finley's  transactions,  during  his  visit  at 
the  Seat  of  Goverjiment : — 

"  Washmgton,  July  Sth,  181C. 
*'  Dear  Sir, 

"I  owe  you  an  apology  for  my  long  silence  on  a 
subject  interesting  to  me  as  well  as  yourself. 

"  I  have  been  continually  under  an  intention  of  wri- 
ting, but  have  been  prevented  from  time  to  time,  and 
am  now  unable  to  do  more  than  to  glance  at  a  few  cir- 
cumstances. 

"Mr.  Finley  arrived  in  Washington  about  the  1st  of 
December,  1816.  His  journey  was  partly  for  the  bene- 
fit of  his  health,  and  partly  with  the  intent  of  visiting 
Georgia.  But  one  leading  design,  and  one  that  seemed 
to  be  most  interesting  to  him,  was  the  forwarding  of 
the  colonization  plan.  Shortly  after  he  arrived,  he 
opened  to  me  his  views  on  the  subject.  I  had  been 
contemplating  the  same  object  from  the  preceding  win- 
ter. I  was  therefore  prepared  to  enter  at  once  into  his 
feelings.  Immediately  after  this,  he  began  seriously  to 
make  arrangements  preparatory  to  a  meeting  of  the  citi- 
zens. He  visited  several  Members  of  Congress,  the 
President,  the  Heads  of  Departments  and  others.  He  re- 
viewed a  piece,  "  Thoiights,  &c."  which  he  had  writ- 
ten previous  to  his  coming  here,  which  we  published, 


DR.     FINLEl'.  81 

and  which  I  send  you,  with  two  other  pamphlets  rela* 
tive  to  the  same  subject.  His  heart,  during  the  whole 
of  this  time,  was  much  engaged,  and  he  said  he  would 
cheerfully  give,  out  of  his  limited  ly.eans,  five  hundred 
dollars,  to  insure  the  success  of  the  scheme.  His  con- 
versation and  zeal  had  a  considerable  influence  in  col- 
lecting people  to  the  meeting,  and  in  conciliating  many 
wiio  at  first  appeared  opposed.  He  proposed  a  prayer 
(meeting,  for  the  success  of  the  vieeting^  the  evening  pre- 
ivious  to  the  day  appointed  for  it,  which  was  held,  and  in 
■w^hich  he  was  earnestly  engaged  in  prayer.  The 
pamphlet  accompanying  this  will  give  you  some  view 
of  the  subject. 

*'  It  will  be  impossible  to  form  an  opinion  of  what  was 
done  at  that  time,  without  having  a  view  of  the  state  of 
the  public,  at  the  time  of  bringing  forward  the  question 
for  public  consideration.  A  few  persons  had  barely 
thought  of  the  subject,  but  in  general,  had  hastily  dis- 
missed it,  as  wholly  impracticable.  I  believe  the  great- 
er part  of  the  persons  at  first  assembled,  were  brought 
there  from  curiositj^,  or  by  the  solicitation  of  their 
jfriends,  viewing  the  scheme  as  too  chimerical  for  any 
(rational  being  to  undertake.  A  very  great  change  was 
there  produced,  which  has  been  gradually  increasing 
from  that  time.  The  organization  of  the  society  at  that 
-time,  may  be  principally  attributed  to  Mr.  Finley's  pre- 
isence  here,  as  it  was  greatly  promoted  by  his  zeal,  his 
lassiduity  and  his  knowledge  of  the  subject :  as  his  pam- 
iphlet  shows  that  his  thoughts  had  been  much  occupied 
U-ith  it.'" 

n 


82  MEMOIRS  OF 

''JVovemher  lOt/i,  1818, 
"  Rev.  and  Dear  Sir, 

"You  ask,  sir,  what  agency  Dr.  Finley  exerted  in 
the  formation  of  the  Coloriization  Society,  within  the 
District  of  Columbia  ?  1  answer,  he  was  the  sole  mover 
.and  promoter  of  it ;  nor  did  he  leave  the  District  until 
it  was  organized,  and  put  into  operation.  His  last  pub- 
lic act  in  the  last  public  meeting,  was  to  make,  by  the 
request  of  Mr.  Herbert,  then  a  Member  of  Congress,  one 
of  the  most  solemn  prayers  for  its  success.  When  Mr. 
Finley  came  here  I  was  not  acquainted  with  him,  but  he 
soon  developed  his  ideas  to  me  upon  the  subject,  which 
you  may  be  sure  met  with  my  most  decided  approba- 
tion. He  got  introductions  to  the  Heads  of  Depart- 
ments, and  to  Mr.  Madison  himself,  told  them  all  what 
he  thought  upon  the  subject,  the  good  he  thought  would 
result  from  it.  Some  laughed — others  wondered  ; — but 
he  remained  unshaken  in  his  purpose,  and  told  me  once 
when  we  were  walking  together,  *  I  know  this  scheme  is 
from  God !' 

"  I  must  not  conceal,  however,  that  in  the  Virginia  as- 
sembly, which  met  that  fall,  a  motion  Avas  made  to  colo- 
nize the  free  people  of  colour,  upon  the  shores  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  somewhere  near  the  mouth  of  the  river 

!!  and  I  think  Mr.  Finley's  doings  here  were 

known  to  that  assembly. 

"  H'  this  colony  should  ever  be  formed  in  Africa,  great 
injustice  will  be  done  to  Mr.  Finley,  if  in  the  history  of 
it,  his  name  be  not  mentioned  as  the  first  mover,  and  if 
some  town  or  district  in  the  colony  be  not  called  Fin- 


DR.  FINLEF.  83 

These  letters,  from  cyc-nitnesses  of  Mr.  Finley's  inde- 
iatigable  efforts,  partakers  in  his  counsels  and  exertions, 
place  his  conduct,  on  that  important  and  interesting  oc- 
casion, in  a  just  and  honourable  point  of  view.  Mr. 
Finley's  "Thoughts  on  the  colonization  of  free  blacks/* 
are  an  important  original  production.  The  valuable  in- 
formation it  contains — the  excellent  spirit  it  breathes — 
and  the  traits  of  originality  in  matter  and  manner,  which 
it  exhibits,  render  it  highly  deserving  of  an  insertion  in 
this  narrative.  Full  of  thought  and  of  zeal,  he  brings  you 
at  once,  without  the  formality  of  an  introduction,  to  the 
main  point  of  discussion.  "  What  shall  we  do  with  the 
free  people  of  colour?  What  can  we  do  for  their  happi- 
ness consistently  with  our  own?  are  questions  often 
asked  by  the  thinking  mind.  The  desire  to  make  them 
happy  has  often  been  felt,  but  the  difficulty  of  devising 
and  accomplishing  an  efficient  plan,  has  hitherto  appear- 
ed too  great  for  humanity  itself  to  accomplish.  The 
mind  shrunk  back  from  the  attempt.  The  time  was  not 
arrived.  The  servitude  of  the  sons  of  Ham,  described 
by  Noah  in  the  spirit  of  prophes}^  concerning  the  future 
condition  of  his  posterity,  was  not  terminated.  At  pre- 
sent, as  if  by  a  divine  impulse,  men  of  virtue,  piety  and 
reflection,  are  turning  their  thoughts  to  this  subject,  and 
seem  to  see  the  wished  for  plan  unfolding,  in  the  gradual 
separation  of  the  black  from  the  ivhite  population^  by  pro- 
,  viding  for  the  former^  some  suitable  situation,  where  they 
\\)nay  enjoy  the  advantages  to  which  they  are  entitled  by  na- 
""dure  and  their  Creator^ s  will.  This  is  a  great  subject, 
and  there  are  several  weighty  questions  connected  with 
it,  which  deserve  a  deep  consideration. 

"  Is  it  a  practicable  thing  to  form  a  colon}^  of  hee 
blacks  in  our  own  wild  lands,  or  on  the  coast  of  Africa  ■* 


84  MEMOIRS  O* 

"  Is  it  probable  that  the  establishment  would  be  pro- 
ductive of  general  happiness ' 

"  What  is  the  most  desirable  -situation  for  such  a  set- 
tlement? In  what  manner,  and  by  whom  might  such  a 
colony  be  planted  with  the  greatest  hope  of  success  ? 

"Much  wisdom  would  no  doubt  be  required  in  ar- 
ranging a  plan  of  so  much  magnitude,  and  some  perse- 
verance in  executing  it  aiid  carrying  it  to  perfection. 
But  it  cannot  be  supposed  to  be  among  the  things  which 
are  impracticable,  to  plant  a  colony,  either  of  blacks  or 
whites,  either  in  Africa,  or  in  some  remote  district  of 
our  own  country.  Most  nations  have  had  their  colo- 
nies. Greece  and  Rome  planted  many,  which  grew  and 
flourished,  and  which,  as  they  grew,  added  strength  and 
lustre  to  the  mother  country.  At  the  present  time  there 
are  few  nations  who  have  not  their  foreign  settlements, 
and  some  of  them  from  year  to  year  are  increasing  the 
numbers  of  their  colonies.  With  what  ease  is  Great 
Britain  transplanting  apart  of  her  population,  in  the  re- 
motest regions  of  the  earth,  and  peopling  New-Holland, 
a  land  destined  like  our  own  to  extend  the  empire  of 
liberty  and  Christian  blessings  to  surrounding  nations.-^' 
It  does  not  appear  that  it  would  require  much  greater 
\  skill  or  labour,  to  form  a  separate  establishment  for  free 
[blacks  in  our  own  distant  territories,  than  it  is  to  form  a 
'^new  state.  The  people  of  colour,  observing  the  con- 
stant emigration  of  the  whites,  would  soon  feel  the  com- 

*  "  It  is  a  remarkable  iHstaace  of  the  mysterious  and  inscrutable  ways  of  Pro- 
vidence, that  the  colony  of  New-Holland,  which  is  principally  composed  of  British 
convicts,  has  bpcome  flourishing  ;  its  inhabitants  peaceable,  orderly  and  indus- 
trious, and  through  the  iustrumentality  of  missionaries,  Christianity  is  flourishing 
among  thera  ;  and  through  them,  likely  to  extend  civilization,  and  the  benefits  of 
the  Christian  religion,,  to  the  ignorant  and  superstitious  natives  of  that  country 
and  the  adjacent  islands." 


DE.    FINLEV.  83 

mon  impulse,  if  the}^  could  see  a  place  where  they  might 
remove,  and  which  they  could  fondly  call  their  own. 
Many  have  both  the  means  and  disposition  to  go  to  any 
reasonable  distance,  or  even  to  a  great  distance,  where 
they  could  assume  the  rank  of  men,  and  act  their  part 
upon  the  great  theatre  of  life  Their  local  attachments 
are  no  stronger  than  those  of  other  men,  their  ambition 
no  less  than  that  of  any  other  colour. 

"  To  colonize  them  in  Africa,  would  be  a  much  more 
arduous  undertaking.     The  country  must  be  explored, 
and  some  situation  chosen,  fertile  and  healthy — expense 
must  be  incurred,  in  fair  and  honourable  purchase  from 
the  natives — an  honourable  appeal  perhaps  be  made  to 
the  nations  of  Europe,  as  to  the  justice  and  humanity  of 
our  views.     An  efficient  government  must,  for  a  time  at 
least,  be  afforded  to  the  colony — the  free  blacks  must  be 
instructed  that  it  would  be  to  their  interest  to  remove 
to  the  land  which  gave  them  origin,  and  instruction  pro- 
vided to  raise  their  minds  to  that  degree  of  knowledge, 
■which  in  time  would  fit  them  for  self-government.  These 
difficulties  are  real,  and  some  of  them  might  be  found  to 
be  very  great,  but  they  are  not  insurmountable.  We  have 
wisdom  in  our  councils,  and  energy  in  our  government. 
In  such  an  undc  rtaking,  we  should  have  reason  and  the 
God  of  eternal  justice  on  our  side.     Humanity  has  many 
a  virtuous  son,  who  would  willingly  and  carefully  ex- 
plore the   long   line  of  African  coast,   which  has  not 
fallen    under  the    dominion  of  any  European    nation. 
Their  devotedness  to  their  country's  interest  and  glory 
would  make   them  faithful   to  their  undertaking,  and 
their  desire  for  the  happiness  of  the  hee  people  of  col- 
our, would  induce  them  if  possible  to  find  a  country 
wiiere  health  and  plenty  might  be  enjoyed.     The  con- 


86  MEMOIRS  OF 

sent  of  the  chiefs  to  part  with  a  sufficient  portion  of  soil^ 
might  be  easily  obtained,  especially  when  they  were 
informed  that  the  sole  design  of  the  colony  was  to  re- 
store their  own  children,  and  bring  them  back,  free  and 
happy.  From  what  has  often  taken  place  on  the  coast 
of  Africa,  we  may  be  assured  that  the  cost  of  procuring 
the  right  of  soil,  by  fair  and  just  purchase,  would  not  be 
great.  The  expense  of  conveying  the  first  settlers,  of 
maintaining  a  suflicient  force  to  protect  the  colony,  and 
of  supplying  the  wants  of  the  colonists  for  a  short  peri- 
od, might  be  more  considerable.  Yet  the  wisdom  of 
congress  might  devise  some  means  of  lightening,  per- 
haps of  re-paying,  the  cost.  Many  of  the  free  people  of 
colour  have  property  sufficient  to  transport,  and  after- 
ward to  establish  themselves.  The  ships  of  war  might 
be  employed  occasionally  in  this  service,  while  many 
w^ould  indent  themselves  to  procure  a  passage  to  the 
land  of  their  independence.  The  crews  of  the  national 
ships  which  might  be  from  time  to  time  at  the  colony, 
would  furnish  at  least  a  part  of  that  protection  which 
would  be  necessary  for  the  settlers ;  and  in  a  little  time 
the  trade  which  the  colony  would  open  with  the  interi- 
or, would  more  than  compensate  for  every  expense,  if 
the  colony  were  wisely  formed.  'Fromthe  single  river 
of  Sierra  Leone,  where  there  is  a  colony  of  free  people 
of  colour,  the  imports  in  Great  Britain  were  nearly,  and 
the  exports  to  the  same  river  full}^,  equal  to  the  imports 
and  exports,  exclusive  of  the  slave  trade,  of  the  whole 
extent  of  the  western  coast  of  Africa,  prior  to  the  aboli- 
tion of  that  traffic.'^  To  allay  the  jealousies  of  other 
nations,  which  might  arise  from  our  establishing  a  settle- 

*  '^  Ninth  report  of  African  [nslitution. 


DR.    FINLE^-. 


sr 


ment  in  Africa,  a  successful  appeal  might  be  made  to 
their  justice  and  humanity.     It  would  be  only  doing  as 
they  have  done,  should  no  such  appeal  be  made.     Spain 
has  her  settlements  in   Africa;  France,  on  the   rivers 
Gambia  and  Senegal ;  Great  Britain,  at  Sierra  Leone 
and  the  Cape  ;  Portugal,  in  Congo  and  I.oango.     On 
the  principles  of  justice,  no  nation  would  have  a  right 
to  interfere  with  our  intentions.     Moreover,  in  this  pe- 
riod of  the  world,  when  the  voice  of  justice  and  human- 
ity begins  to  be  listened  to  with  attention,  is  there  not 
reason  to  hope,  that  plans,  the  sole  design  of  which  is 
the  benefit  of  the  human  race,  would  be  approved  in  the 
cabinets  of  princes,  and  hailed  by  the  benevolent  of  all 
nations?     The  colony  would  not  suffer  for  want  of  in- 
structors, in  morals,  religion  and  the  useful  arts  of  life. 
The  time  at  last  is  come  when  not  a  few  are  imbibing 
the  spirit  of  Him  who  came  from  Heaven  "  to  seek  and 
save   the  lost."     That   spirit  is  only  beginning  to  go 
forth,  which  has  already  been  so  successful  in  teaching, 
the  CafFre,  the  Hottentot,  the  Boshemen,  the  means  of 
present  happiness  and  the  way  of  eternal  life.*     In  the 
mean  time  the  great  efforts  which  are  making  to  improve 
the  mental  condition  of  the  people  of  colour  seems  de- 
signed in  providence  to  prepare  them  for  some  great  and 
happy  change  in  their  situation. 

*'  It  need  not  be  apprehended,  that  these  people  would 
be  unwilling  to  remove  to  the  proposed  establishment. 
To  suppose  this,  is  to  suppose  that  they  do  not  long  after 
happiness,  that  they  do  not  feel  the  common  pride  and 

*  "  A.  plan  of  a  school  was  laid  in  New-York,  October,  1816,  for  the  purpose 
of  training  young  people  of  colour,  as  teachers  for  those  of  their  own  colour,  in  this 
country,  and  to  have  a  supply  of  iostructorg  ready  for  the  proposed  colony,  should 
it  be  ever  formed. 


88  MEMOIRS  OF 

feelings  of  men.  In  some  of  our  great  cities  there  are 
associations  formed  to  open  a  correspondence  with  the 
colony  at  Sierra  Leone  and  prepare  their  minds  for  a 
removal  to  a  colony  should  it  be  ever  formed.*  The 
colony  at  Sierra  Leone  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa, 
seems  as  if  designed  by  God  to  obviate  every  difficulty, 
to  silence  objections,  and  point  out  the  way  in  which  ev- 
ery obstacle  may  be  removed,  if  measures  sufficiently 
wise  are  adopted  in  establishing  a  similar  colony  from 
this  country.  -The  colony  alluded  to  was  first  establish- 
ed in  the  year  179L  Its  first  settlers  were  a  (e.w  people 
of  colour  who  were  in  Great  Britain,  and  from  1100  to 
1200  of  the  same  description  in  Nova  Scotia.  In  the 
year  loll,  the  population  had  increased  to  2000  exclu- 
sive of  many  natives,  notwithstanding  the  sickness  and 
mortality  incident  to  a  new  settlement,  and  the  settle- 
ment being  once  destroyed  by  the  French.  In  the  year 
1816,  the  population  had  increased  to  3000.f  All  this 
has  been  accomplished,  or  at  least  it  was  originated  and 
for  many  years  maintained,  by  a  company  of  benevolent 

*  "  Such  an  association  exists  in  Philadelphia. 

f  "  Early  in  the  winter  of  1816,  about  thirtj' people  of  colour  left  Boston  with 
a  view  of  settling  themselves  in  the  British  colony  at  Sierra  Leone,  in  Africa. 
The  vessel  in  which  they  sailed  was  the  property  and  under  tiie  command  of  the 
celebrated  Paul  Cuffee.  Captain  Cuffee  has  returned  to  this  country,  and  brings 
letters  from  the  emigrants  to  their  friends  and  benefactors.  We  have  seen  one 
of  the  letters  dated  April  3,  1816.  It  states  that  they  all  arrived  safe  at  Sierra 
Leone,  after  a  passage  of  55  days,  and  were  welcomed  by  all  in  the  colony.  The 
place  is  represented  as  "  good."  They  have  fruits  of  all  kinds  and  at  all  seasons 
of  the  year.  The  governor  gave  each  family  a  lot  of  land  in  the  town,  and  fifty 
acres  of  "good  land"  in  tlie  country,  or  more  in  proportion  to  their  families. 
Their  land  in  the  country  is  about  two  miles  from  town.  Thpy  have  plenty  of 
rice  and  corn,  and  all  other  food  that  is  good  There  were  five  churches  in  the 
colony,  and  three  or  four  schools,  in  one  of  which  there  were  150  female  Africans. 
7?ho  are  taught  to  read  the  word  of  God."    The  Boston  Recorder. 


h 


DU.  FINLEy.  89 

and  enterprising  men,  by  men  too  who  are  far  removed 
from  those  places  where  free  blacks  are  to  be  found. 
What  then  might  be  done  under  the  blessing  of  that  Be- 
ing who  wills  the  happiness  of  all  his  creatures,  by  the 
American  government,  aided  by  the  benevolence  of  all 
its  citizens,  and  surrounded  with  thousands  who  would 
be  willing  to  emigrate,  and  many  of  whom  could  carry 
with  them  property,  the  useful  arts  of  life,  and  above  all, 
the  knowledge  ofthe  benign  religion  of  Christ. 

'*/?  it  probable  that  the  general  good  would  be  promoted 
by  the  establishment  of  such  a  colony  ^  If  there  is  not  rea- 
son to  believe  that  it  would  be  for  the  general  benefit, 
the  idea  ought  to  be  given  up  and  the  scheme  rejected. 
But  is  there  not  reason  to  believe  that  the  interest  of 
the  whites  and  the  free  people  of  colour  would  be  equal- 
ly pF/omoted,  by  the  latter  being  colonized  in  some  suit- 
able situation  ?  It  can  scarcely  be  doubted  that  slavery 
has  an  injurious  effect  on  the  morals  and  habits  of  a 
country  where  it  exists.  It  insensibly  induces  a  habit  of 
indolence.  Idleness  seldom  fails  to  be  attended  with 
dissipation.  Should  the  time  ever  come  when  slavery 
shall  not  exist  in  these  states,  yet  if  the  people  of  colour 
remain  among  us,  the  effect  of  their  presence  will  be 
unfavourable  to  our  industry  and  morals.  The  recol- 
lection of  their  former  servitude  will  keep  alive  the 
feeling  that  they  were  formed  for  labour,  and  that  the 
descendants  of  their  former  masters,  ought  to  be  exempt, 
at  least,  from  the  more  humble  and  toilsome  pursuits  of 
life.  The  gradual  withdrawing  of  the  blacks  w^ould  in- 
sensibly, and  from  an  easy  necessity  induce  habits  of 
industry,  and  along  with  it  a  love  of  order  and  religion. 
Could  they  be  removed  to  some  situation  where  they 
might  live  alone,  society  would  be  saved  many  a  panjv 

12 


90  MEMOIRS  O* 

*  ^  which  now  is  i'elt,  and  must  in  course  of  time  be  much 

more  sensibly  felt  from  the  intermixture  of  the  diffeient 

colours,  and  at  the  same  time  be  relieved  from  a  heavy 

burden,  in  supporting  that  large  portion  of  this  people 

\  5vhich  falls  into  poverty  and  must  be  maintained  by  oth- 

;■  1  ers.     If  the  benefit  of  the  proposed  separation  would  be 

•  [  considerable  to  those  states  where  the  people  of  colour 
\  I  are  comparatively  few,  how  great  would  it  be  to  those 
^i  where  they  are  very  numerous.      The  love  of  liberty 

which  prevails  in  those  states,  must  be  attended  with  a 
desire  to  see  abolished  a  system  so  contrary  to  the  best 
feehngs  of  our  natures.  But  however  strong  the  desires 
of  many,  however  lively  the  impressions  of  the  great 
principles  of  right,  or  however  pungent  the  convictions 
of  a  dying  bed,  it  is  believed  to  be  unsafe  to  encourage 
the  idea  of  emancipation.  The  evil  therefore  increases 
every  year,  and  the  gloomy  picture  grows  darker  con- 
tinually, so  that  the  question  is  often  and  anxiously  ask- 
ed—  What  jvill  be  the  end  of  all  this.''  The  most  natural 
and  easy  ansv»^er  seems  to  be — let  no  time  be  lost — let  a 
colony  or  colonies  be  formed  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  and 
let  laws  be  passed  permitting  the  emancipation  of  slaves 
on  condition  that  they  shall  be  colonized.  By  these 
means  the  evil  of  slavery  will  be  diminished,  and  in  a 
way  so  gradual  as  to  prepare  the  whites  for  the  happy 
and  progressive  change. 

"  The  benefits  of  the  proposed  plan  to  the  race  of 
blacks  appear  to  be  numerous  and  great.  That  they  are 
capable  of  improvement  is  not  to  be  contradicted,  and 
:that  their  improvement  progresses  daily,  notwithstand- 
^  ;ing  every  obstacle,  is  not  to  be  denied.  Their  capaci- 
ty for  self  government  whether  denied  or  not,  is  ever 
present  to  our  view  in  the  island  of  St.  Domingo.  But  it 


DR.  FIXLEV.  91 

is  in  vain  that  we  believe  thera  capable  of  improvement, 
or  that  we  are  convinced  that  they  are  equal  to  the  task 
of  governing  themselves,  unless  this  unhappy  people  are 
separated  from  their  former  masters.  The  friends  of 
man  will  strive  in  vain  to  raise  them  to  a  proper  level 
while  they  remain  among  us.  They  will  be  kept  down, 
on  the  one  side  by  prejudice,  too  deep  rooted  to  be 
eradicated,  on  the  other,  by  the  recollection  of  former 
inferiority,  and  despair  of  ever  assuming  an  equal  stand- 
ing in  society.  Remove  them.  Place  them  by  them- 
selves in  some  climate,  congenial  with  their  colour  and 
constitutions,  and  in  some  fruitful  soil ;  their  contracted 
minds  will  then  expand  and  their  natures  rise.  The 
hope  of  place  and  power  will  soon  create  the  feeling 
that  they  are  men.  Give  them  the  hope  of  becoming 
possessed  of  power  and  influence,  and  the  pleasure  of 
their  invigorated  minds  will  be  similar  to  ours  in  like 
circumstances.  At  present  they  have  few  incentives  to 
industry  and  virtue,  compared  with  those  which  they 
would  feel,  in  a  land  which  they  could  call  their  own, 
and  where  there  was  no  competition  except  with  their 
own  colour. 

"  This  great  enterprise,  must  be  undertaken  ;  either 
by  a  union  of  virtuous  and  pious  individuals,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  colony  of  Sierra  Leone  already  ra-entioned 
in  its  original  state  ;  or  by  the  government  of  the  Uni- 
ted States.  Perhaps  on  mature  deliberation,  it  might  ap- 
pear a  work  worthy  of  the  government,  and  one  that 
J  could  be  accomplished  with  the  greatest  ease  and  in  the 
most  efficient  manner  under  the  patronage  of  the  nation. 
None  but  the  nation's  arm  could  reach  to  all  the  situa- 
tions  in  which  the  free  blacks  are  placed  through  our 
extended  country,   nor  any  but  its  councils  be  wise 


92  MEMOIRS  OF 

enough  to  accommodate  the  various  interests  which 
ought  to  be  consulted  in  so  great  an  undertaking.  If 
Avrong  has  been  done  to  Africa  in  forcing  away  her 
weeping  children,  the  wrong  can  be  best  redressed,  by 
that  power  which  did  the  injury.  If  Heaven  has  been 
offended,  by  putting  chains  on  those,  whom  by  its  eter- 
nal laws  it  has  willed  to  be  free,  the  same  hand  which 
provoked  the  divine  displeasure,  should  offer  the  aton- 
ing sacrifice.  Under  a  former  government  this  guilt  and 
evil  were  brought  principally  upon  our  land  ;  but  for 
many  years  the  state  governments,  under  the  eye  of 
the  general  government,  continued  this  great  violation 
of  the  laws  of  nature.  I^et  then  the  representatives  of 
this  great  and  free  people,  not  only  feel  it  to  be  their  in- 
terest, but  their  duty  and  glory  to  repair  the  injuries 
done  to  humanity  by  our  ancestors  by  restoring  to  inde- 
pendence those  who  were  forced  from  their  native  land, 
and  are  now  found  among  us. 

"  It  remains  yet  to  answer  the  question:  Should  con- 
gress in  their  wisdom  adopt  the  proposed  measure; 
would  it  best  answer  the  end  designed,  to  plant  the  co- 
lony in  some  distant  section  of  our  country,  or  in  the 
land  to  which  their  colour  and  original  constitution  are 
adapted  ?  If  fixed  in  the  territories  of  the  United  States, 
the  expense  of  procuring  soil  might  be  saved,  and  the 
difficulty  of  removing  settlers  to  the  appointed  place 
would  be  diminished,  especially  if  the  colony  were 
planted  at  no  very  great  distance  in  the  interior.  But 
these  advantages  would  be  in  part  counterbalanced,  by 
having  in  our  vicinity  an  independent  settlement  of  peo- 
ple who  were  once  our  slaves.  There  might  be  cause 
of  dread,  lest  they  should  occasionally  combine  with 
^^©ur  Indian  neighbours,  or  with  those  European  nations 


DR.  FINLEY.  93 

./who  have  settlements  adjacent  to  our  own,  and  we 
1 1  should  have  them  for  our  enemies,  iiowevcir  i^reat  the 
distance  at  which  siivh  a  setlkment  would  be  made  in 
our  own  country,  it  would  furnish  great  facility  to  the 
slaves  in  the  nearest  states,  to  desert  their  masters'  ser- 
vice, and  escape  to  a  land  where  their  own  race  v/as 
sovereign  and  independent.  An  easy  comuuinication 
would  also  be  open,  to  send  information  to  those  who 
remain  in  slavery,  so  as  to  make  th-m  uneasy  in  their 
servitude.  If  removed  to  Africa,  these  last  difficulties 
Avould  disappear,  or  be  greatly  diminished.  There  we 
should  have  nothing  to  fear  from  their  becoming  our  ene- 
mies. Removed  far  from  our  sights  our  contem.pt  of  them, 
produced  by  their  situation,  and  by  long  habit  confirm- 
ed, would  gradually  die  away,  and  their  jealousy  and 
suspicion  proportionably  decrease.  The  colony  could 
never  become  an  asylum  for  fugitive  slaves,  and  but  lit- 
tle opportunity  could  be  afforded  to  communicate  with 
this  country  in  such  a  manner  as  to  render  the  slaves  un- 
easy in  their  masters'  service.  On  the  other  hand,  great 
and  happy  results  might  be  produced  by  their  being  col- 
,onized  in  Africa.  It  is  the  country  of  their  fathers,  a 
climate  suited  to  their  colour,  and  one  to  which  their 
constitution,  but  partially  altered  hj  their  abode  in  this 
country  would  soon  adapt  itself.  AVho  can  tell  the 
blessings  which  might  in  this  way  be  conferred  on  Afri- 
ca herself,  when  her  strangers  should  be  restored,  and 
she  should  receive  her  children  redeemed  from  bon- 
dage by  the  humanity  of  America,  and  by  the  hand  of 

Uvirtue  and  religion  restored  from  their  captivity.  V/ith 
what  delight  would  she  view  them,  improved  in  arts,  in 
civilization  and  in  knowledge  of  the  true  God.  She 
would  forget  her  sorrows,  her  wounds  would  be  healed 


94  MEMOIRS  OF 

and  she  would  bless  the  hands  of  her  benefactors.  Do 
we  not  owe  to  that  hapless  country  a  debt  contracted 
by  our  fathers  ;  and  how  can  we  so  well  re-pay  it,  as  by 
transportiag  to  her  shores  a  multitude  of  its  own  descen- 
dants, who  have  learned  the  arts  of  life  and  are  softened 
by  the  power  of  true  religion,  and  who  can  therefore  be  in- 
strumental in  taming  and  placing  in  fixed  abodes^  the 
wild  and  wandering  people  who  now  roam  over  that 
great  section  of  the  globe.  A  nation  of  Christians 
ought  to  believe  that  all  the  earth  is  destined  to  enjoy 
happiness  under  the  dominion  of  the  Prince  of  peace. 
Africa  is  not  forgotten  by  Him  who  *  feeds  the  spar- 
rows.' The  spirit  of  her  people  shall  arise.  Her  sons 
shall  assume  their  proper  dignity,  and  she  shall  yet  re- 
joice in  her  Creator's  favour.  Heaven  executes  its  pur- 
poses by  human  agents,  and  perhaps  this  may  be  one  of 
those  means  which  are  laid  up  in  store  to  bless  the  sable 
minions  that  now  exist,  the  pity  of  angels,  but  the  scorn 
of  thoughtless  man.  Could  an}^  thing  be  deemed  so  ef- 
fectual for  the  happiness  of  that  portion  of  the  world  as 
the  plan  proposed  ?  In  this  way  there  might  soon  be  fix- 
ed a  seat  of  liberal  learning  in  Africa,  from  which  the 
rays  of  knowledge  might  dart  across  those  benighted  re- 

,  gions.  Is  it  too  much  to  believe  it  possible  that  He 
who  brings  light  out  of  darkness,  and  good  out  of 
evil,  has  suffered  so  great  an  evil  to  exist  as  African 
slavery,  that  in  a  land  of  civil  liberty  and  religious 
knowledge,  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  might  at  the 
appointed  time  be  prepared  to  return,  and  be  the  great 

M  instrument  of  spreading  peace  and  happiness.  Let  not 
these  reflections  be  thought  wholly  visionary.  We 
know  that  the  ways  of  the  great  Ruler  of  the  world  and 
Director  of  events  are  vronderful  and  great  beyond  cal- 


DR.     FINLEY.  95 

culation.     We  know  that  great  and  increasing  benefits 
arise  to  the  natives  of  Africa  from  the  colony  at  Sierra 
Leone.     From  the  vicinity  of  that  colony,  the  son  of  an 
African  chief,  who  has  seen  and  felt  its  benefits,  thus 
writes  in  the  summer  of  1815  :    'What  a  happy  thing  it 
is  to  see  the  peaceable  state  that  this  country  is  now  in ! 
quiet  and  free  from  slave  vessels ! — no  dragging  of  fami- 
lies from  one  another ! — no  innumerable  slaves  chained 
together,  male  and  female  I  and  the  enemies  of  humani- 
ty, the  slave  traders,  gradually  quitting  the  country  !  It 
has  struck  me  forcibly,  that  where  the  gospel  makes  its 
appearance,  there  satan's  kingdom  gradually  diminishes. 
May  God  give  grace  and  perseverance  to  his  servants 
to  carry  on  his  work  ;  and  make  them  instruments  in  his 
hands  of  bringing  them  to  perfection.     On  the  fourth  of 
June,  1815,  ninety  children  and  one  adult  were  baptized 
into  the  faith  of  Christ  in  the  colony.'     On  which  occa- 
sion the  same  young  prince  thus  writes  :    *  I  never  was 
better  pleased  in  my  lifetime  than  to  see  so  many  of  my 
countrymen  brought  so  far  as  to  be  baptized,  and  partic- 
ularly when  I  saw  a  grown  up  native  come  forward  to 
be  baptized.     We  had  likewise  the  happiness  of  seeing 
our  church  so  full,  that  some  were  obliged  to  stand  out 
of  doors.     Five  or  six  of  the  native  chiefs  were  present 
on  the  occasion.     I  had  more  hopes  that  day  than  I  ever 
had  of   those  poor  perishing  countrymen  of  mine*'^ 
The  period  in  which  we  live  is  big  with  great  events, 
and  as  happy  as  they  are  great.     It  is  pregnant  with 
greater  still.     We  have  lived  to  see  the  day  when  man 
has  begun  to  learn  the  lesson  of  freedom  and  happincs.^. 
America  is  blessed  vvith  every  blessing  civil  and  reli- 

*  "  Appendix  to  Christian  Observer,  for  181.'>. 


vb  MEMOIRS  OF 

gious.  Europe  begins  slowly  but  sensibly  to  reform  her 
governments.  The  gloomy  and  dread  superstitions  of 
Asia,  begin  to  totter  before  the  gospel  of  Christ.  Nor 
shall  Africa  be  forgotten.  Her  bosom  begins  to  warm 
with  hope,  and  her  heart  to  beat  with  expectation  and 
desire.  Toward  this  land  of  liberty  she  turns  her  eyes, 
and  to  the  representatives  of  this  great  and  free  people, 
she  stretches  forth  her  hands,  panting  for  the  return  of 
her  absent  sons  and  daughters.  Happy  America,  if  she 
shall  endeavour  not  only  to  rival  other  nations  in  arts 
and  arms,  but  to  equal  and  exceed  them  in  the  great 
cause  of  humanity,  which  has  begun  its  never  ending 
course." 

!  This  treatise  is  probably  the  first  on  this  great  subject 
■  ever  published  in  the  United  States.  It  exhibits  a  sti-ong, 
benevolent  and  active  mind,  exploring  a  new,  expanded 
and  interesting  subject,  drawing  its  outlines,  its  difficul- 
ties, its  advantages,  its  various  points  of  interest  and  im- 
portance, in  so  distinct,  judicious  and  impressive  a  man- 
ner, that  subsequent  speakers  and  writers  on  the  same 
subject,  have  added  little  to  the  soundness  of  reflection, 
extensiveness  of  view,  and  clearness  of  illustration  here 
displayed.  This  pamphlet  excited  much  attention,  and 
had  considerable  influence  on  the  public  mind,  at  its 
first  appearance.  Through  its  instrumentality,  in  con- 
nection with  Mr.  Finley's  personal  exertions,  a  very 
respectable  number  of  gentlemen  were  convened,  ac- 
cording to  appointment,  on  the  2^stof  December,  1816, 
for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  colonization  society. 

At  this  meeting  the  Hon.  Henry  Clay,  Esq.  of  Ken- 
tucky, presided,  and  opened  the  business  with  an  appro- 
priate address,  which  was  concluded  with  the  following 
important  remarks ; — 


DR.    FINLEY.  97 

"  It  was  proper  and  necessary  distinctly  to  state,  that 
lie  understood  it  constituted  no  part  of  the  object  of  this 
meeting,  to  touch  or  agitate,  in  the  slightest  degree,  a 
delicate  question  connected  with  another  portion  of  the 
coloured  people  of  our  country.  It  was  not  proposed 
to  deliberate  on,  or  consider  at  all,  any  question  of  eman- 
cipation, or  that  was  connected  with  the  abolition  of 
slavery." 

Elias  Boudinot  Caldwell,  Esq.  instructed  and  interest- 
ed this  meeting,  by  a  very  luminous  and  eloquent  speech, 
of  which  the  following  is  the  closing  paragraph : — 

"  Among  the  objections  which  have  been  made,  I 
must  confess  that  I  am  most  surprised  at  one  which  seems 
to  be  prevalent,  to  wit,  that  these  people  will  be  unwil- 
ling to  be  colonized.  What,  sir,  are  they  not  men? 
Will  they  not  be  actuated  by  the  same  motives  of  inte- 
rest and  ambition,  which  influence  other  m.en  ?  or  will 
they  prefer  remaining  in  a  hopeless  state  of  degradation 
for  themselves  and  their  children,  to  the  prospect  of  the 
full  enjoyment  of  the  civil  rights,  and  a  state  of  equality  ? 
What  brought  our  ancestors  to  these  shores  ?  They  had 
no  friendly  hand  to  lead  them  ;  no  powerful  human  arm 
to  protect  them.  They  left  the  land  of  their  nativity, 
the  sepulchres  of  their  fathers,  the  comforts  of  civilized 
society,  and  all  the  endearments  of  friends  and  relatives 
and  early  associations,  to  traverse  the  ocean,  to  clear  the 
forests,  to  encounter  all  the  hardships  of  a  new  settle- 
ment, and  to  brave  the  dangers  of  the  tomahawk  and 
scalping  knife.  How  many  were  destroyed  !  Sometimes 
whole  settlements  cut  off  by  disease  and  hunger — by  the 
treachery  and  cruelty  of  the  savages :  yet  were  they  not 
discouraged.  What  is  it  impels  many  Europeans  daily 
to  seek  our  shores,  and  to  sell  themselves  for  the  prim.e 

13 


98  MEMOIRS  OF 

of  their  life,  to  defray  the  expense  of  their  passages?    It 
is  that  ruling,  imperious  desire,  planted  in  the  breast  of 
every  man ;  the  desire  of  liberty,  of  standing  upon  an 
equality  with  his  fellow  men.     If  we  were  to  add  to 
these  motives  the  offer  of  land,  and  to  aid  in  the  expense 
of  emigration,  and  of  first  settling,  they  cannot  be  so 
blind  to  their  own  interest,  so  devoid  of  every  generous 
and  noble  feeling,  as  to  hesitate  about  accepting  the  of- 
fer.    It  is  not  a  matter  of  speculation  and  opinion  only. 
It  has  been  satisfactorily  ascertained,  that  numbers  will 
gladly  accept  of  the  invitation ;  and  when  once  the  co- 
lony is  formed  and  flourishing,  all  other  obstacles  will 
be  easily  removed.     It  is  for  us  to  make  the  experi- 
ment and  the  offer:  we  shall  then,  and  not  till  then, 
have  discharged  our  duty.     It  is  a  plan  in  which  all  in- 
terests, all  classes  and  descriptions  of  people  may  unite; 
in  which  all  discordant  feelings  may  be  lost  in  those  of 
humanity — in  promoting  'peace  on  earth  and  good  will 
to  men.'  " 

The  illustrious  Randolph,  of  Roanoke,  briefly  exerted 
his  powers  in  favour  of  the  proposed  plan,  thus  increas- 
ingly endearing  to  his  country  his  great  and  splendid 
talents. 

Measures  v*^ere  commenced  for  bringing  this  subject 
as  speedily  as  possible  before  Congress,  in  a  respectful 
memorial,  requesting  them  to  procure  a  territory,  in  Af- 
rica or  clsejvhere,  suitable  for  the  colonization  of  the 
free  people  of  colour ;  and  a  committee  was  appointed 
to  prepare  a  constitution  and  rules  for  the  government 
of  the  society,  to  be  organized  at  a  subsequent  meeting. 
On  Saturday,  28th  of  December,  1816,  according  to  ad- 
journment, a  large  number  of  citizens  of  Washington, 
of  Georgetown,  of  Alexandria,  and  others,  assembled — 


DR.     FINLEY.  99 

when  Mr.  Finley  enjoyed  the  peculiar  satisfaction  of 
seeinn:  the  expected  constitution  reported  and  unani- 
mously  adopted,  the  "American  society  for  colonizing 
the  free  people  of  colour,"  completely  organized,  and 
officers  appointed  for  the  ensuing  year. 

It  is  an  auspicious  circumstance  in  this  business,  and 
a  source  of  lively  gratification,  to  see  at  the  head  of  this 
noble  institution^  which  confers  honour  on  our  country, 
the  name  of  Washington,  with  which  we  are  accustomed 
to  associate  every  thing  wise  and  patriotic  in  council, 
magnanimous  and  beneficent  in  action.  Tt  excites  also 
pleasing  sensations  to  find  the  humble  and  unaspiring  au- 
thor of  this  heaven-born  enterprise,  as  an  acknowledgment 
of  his  distinguished  merit  and  pre-eminent  zeal,  enrolled 
in  the  catalogue  of  eminent  statesmen  and  patriots  who 
were  elected  as  vice-presidents  of  this  society  for  the 
first  year.  We  cannot  but  notice  with  satisfaction  the 
resolution  which  closed  this  important  meeting — a  reso- 
lution which  does  honour  to  the  respectable  mo ver  of  it, 
and  to  the  whole  society : — 

"  On  motion  of  Mr.  Herbert,  resolved  unanimously, 
that  the  Rev.  Robert  Finley  be  requested  to  close  the 
meeting  with  an  address  to  the  throne  of  grace." 

Mr.  Finley's  journey  to  the  seat  of  government,  and 
his  continued  exertions  there  for  several  successive 
weeks,  proved  very  beneficial  to  his  health,  and  the  com- 
plete success  which  crowned  his  efforts,  gave  so  pleas- 
ing an  excitement  to  his  spirits,  that  he  returned  home 
in  a  state  of  mind  and  body  much  invigorated  and  im- 
proved. 

On  his  arrival  in  Philadelphia,  he  was  grieved  to  find 
the  people  of  colour  in  that  city  filled  with  painful 
alarms  and  apprehensions,  respecting  the  nature  and  ob- 


100  MEMOIRS  OF 

ject  of  the  colonization  society,  so  recently  instituted  at 
Washington.  The  suspicions  and  fears  of  these  people 
had  been  excited  in  a  very  considerable  degree,  by 
means  of  mistaken  or  mischievous  statements  received 
among  them,  purporting  to  have  been  communicated 
from  Washington,  and  representing,  in  substance,  that 
the  society  established  there  was  designed  to  remove 
the  free  people  of  colour  in  a  forcible  manner  from  this 
country,  without  making  provision  for  their  support  and 
comfort.  Their  prejudice  thus  inspired,  had  unhappily 
been  strengthened  by  erroneous  suggestions  from  cer- 
tain persons  residing  in  the  city.  This  unhappy  state 
of  things  Mr.  Finley  endeavoured  immediately  to  reme- 
dy, by  his  personal  presence  and  influence. 

The  following  representation  of  the  measures  he 
adopted  for  that  purpose,  has  been  obligingly  furnished 
by  a  gentleman  who  received  the  statement  from  him- 
self, and  of  whose  correctness  there  can  be  no  reasona- 
ble doubt : — 

"  Dr.  Finley  had  been  on  a  visit  to  Washington. 
Having  returned  as  far  as  Philadelphia,  he  there  met 
the  Rev.  John  Gloucester,  and  from  conversation  with 
him,  found  that  there  was  a  considerable  perturbation  in 
the  minds  of  the  people  of  colour,  produced  by  the  pro- 
ceedings at  Washington  relative  to  their  colonization. 
This  was  immediately  after  public  notice  of  this  business 
had  been  taken  at  Washington.  A  meeting  of  the  peo- 
ple of  colour  had  been  called  at  Philadelphia,  and  a 
committee  of  twelve  had  been  appointed  by  them,  to 
take  this  subject  into  consideration.  Dr.  Finley  re- 
quested an  interview  with  this  committee,  and  obtained 
it ;  eleven  out  of  the  twelve  attending.  He  found  that 
they  were  considerably  alarmed  at  the  proposed  plan 


DR.   PINLEY.  101 

of  colonization,  and  strongly  prejudiced  against  it,  sus- 
pecting that  some  purpose,  injurious  to  their  class  of 
people,  was  hidden  under  it.  He  spent  nearly  an  hour 
in  conversing*  with  them  on  that  point,  endeavouriiig  to 
remove  their  fears  and  prejudices,  pointing  them  to  the 
character  of  the  gentlemen  who  advocated  the  scheme, 
and  showing  the  advantages  which  would  probably  re- 
sult from  it.  At  length  they  declared  then^selves  fully 
satisfied  as  to  this  point,  that  the  designs  of  the  gentle- 
men who  proposed  and  advocated  the  scheme  were  be- 
nevolent and  good,  and  that  the  thing  in  itself  was  desi- 
rable for  them. 

"Having  removed  this  difficulty,  the  next  question 
was,  where  will  be  a  suitable  place  for  colonization? 
On  this  point  there  was  a  division  :  some  thought  they 
should  have  a  part  of  our  back  and  uncultivated 
lands  allowed  them  :  others  thought  Africa  would  be  the 
most  suitable  place.  Two  names  in  particular  I  recol- 
lect he  mentioned  as  decided  on  this  last  point,  J- 

F and  R A .  J.  F.  he  observed,  was  ani- 
mated on  the  subject.  He  said  their  people  would  be- 
come a  great  nation  :  he  pointed  to  Hayti,  and  declared 
it  as  his  opinion  that  their  people  could  not  always  be 
detained  in  their  present  bondage  :  he  remarked  on  the 
peculiarly  oppressive  situation  of  his  people  in  our  land, 
observing  that  neither  riches  nor  education  could  put 
them  on  a  level  with  the  whites,  and  that  the  more 
wealthy  and  the  better  informed  any  of  them  became,  the 
more  wretched  they  were  made ;  for  they  felt  their  de- 
gradation more  acutely.  He  gave  it  as  his  decided 
opinion  that  Africa  was  the  proper  place  for  a  colony. 
He  observed  to  those  present,  that  should  they  settle  any 
where  in  the  vicinity  of  the  whites,  their  condition  must 


102  MEMOIRS    OF 

become  before  many  years  as  bad  as  it  now  is,  since  the 
white  population  is  continually  rolling  back,  and  ere 
long- they  must  be  encompassed  again  with  whites. 

"  Ft.  A.  spoke  with  warmth  on  some  oppressions  which 
they  suffer  from  the  whites,  and  spoke  warmly  in  favour 
of  colonization  in  Africa,  declaring  that  were  he 
young  he  would  go  himself.  He  spoke  of  the  advanta- 
ges of  the  colony  at  Sierra  Leone,  and  highly  of  Paul 
Cu/fee.  lie  considered  the  present  plan  of  colonization 
as  holding  out  great  advantages  for  the  blacks  who  are 
now  young. 

"  The  committee  of  whom  I  speak  were  of  the  most  re- 
spectable class  of  blacks.  So  far  as  I  recollect,  this  is 
the  substance  of  what  Dr.  Finley  told  me.  As  far  as  I 
have  gone,  you  may  rely  on/acf^." 

This  communication  is  introduced,  chiefly  to  show, 
with  what  steadfastness,  solicitude  and  indefatigable  dili- 
gence, Mr.  Finley  prosecuted  this  noble  object.  It 
may  teach  us  also  with  what  sentiments,  this  benevolent 
system  will  probably  be  viewed  by  the  more  enlighten- 
ed, moral  and  respectable  part  of  the  people  of  colour, 
in  cool,  dispassionate  and  reflecting  moments,  when  their 
suspicion  and  prejudice,  are  in  some  measure  removed 
by  proper  explanations  of  the  nature  and  design,  benefits 
and  prospects  of  this  society. 

Mr.  Finley  arrived  at  home  about  the  middle  of  Jan- 
uary, 1817.  The  Legislature  of  New-Jersey  were  then 
in  session,  which  usually  attracts  to  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment, a  considerable  number  of  respectable  individuals, 
besides  the  representatives  from  the  several  counties  in 
the  state.  Deeply  interested  in  the  progress  of  the  col- 
onization scheme,  and  anxious  to  embrace  every  oppor- 
tunity of  prosecuting  its  interests,  after  a  short  repose  at 


DR.  FINLEY.  103 

home,  he  visited  Trenton,  with  a  view  to  attempt  the 
formation  of  a  subordinate  colonization  society  for  the 
state  of  New-Jersey.*  On  his  arrival  at  the  seat  of 
government,  he  found  a  spirit  of  indifference  to  this 
great  object,  bordering  on  hostility  to  it,  in  some  instan- 
ces existing.  After  he  had  spent  some  tim.e  in  endeav- 
ouring to  remove  these  prejudices,  and  to  conciliate 
those  who  appeared  to  be  indifferent  or  disaffected,  a 
public  meeting  was  held  in  the  State  House,  at  which, 
notwithstanding  the  extreme  inclemency  of  the  weather, 
a  number  of  the  principal  citizens  of  Trenton,  many 
members  of  the  Legislature,  and  a  considerable  number 
of  gentlemen  of  distinction,  from  different  parts  of  the 
state  attended.      The  proposal  for  establishing  a  col- 

*  The  following  memorial  which  had  beea  previously  printed  and  circulated 
will  suggest  to  the  reader  another  motive  that  influenced  Mr.  Finley  in  the  visit 
here  mentioned  : — 

"  To  the  Honourable  the  Legislature  of  New-Jersey. 

"  Th,e  Memorial  and  Petition  of  the  subscribers,  inhabitants  of  New-Jersey, 
showeth  that  they  have  viewed  with  great  interest  and  concern  the  present  condi- 
tion and  future  prospects  of  the  free  peoj'le  of  colour  in  thisand  our  sister  states. 
While  the  love  of  liberty,  and  the  feelings  of  humanity  have  produced  the  eman- 
cipation of  a  great  number  of  these  people,  and  are  gradually  effecting  the  free- 
dom of  the  rest ;  it  is  with  much  regret  that  your  petitioners  observe  the  degra- 
ded situation  in  which  those  who  have  been  freed  from  slavery  remain  ;  and  from  a 
variety  of  considerations  will  probably  remain  while  they  continue  among  the 
whites. 

"  To  enable  them  to  rise  to  that  condition  to  which  they  are  entitled  by  tlie 
laws  of  God  and  nature,  it  appears  desirable,  and  even  necessary,  to  separate  them 
from  their  former  masters,  and  place  them  in  some  favourable  situation  by  them- 
selves, perhaps  in  Africa,  the  land  of  their  fathers.  It  is  therefore  respectfully  re- 
quested of  the  legislaiure  to  instruct,  by  resolution  or  otherwise,  the  senators  and 
representatives  from  the  state  of  New  Jersey,  to  lay  before  the  congress  at  their 
next  meeting,  as  a  subject  of  consideration,  the  expediency  of  for-riing  a  colony  on 
the  coast  of  Africa  or  elsewhere,  where  such  of  the  people  of  colour  as  are  now 
free,  or  may  be  hereafter  set  free,  mav  with  their  own  consent  be  removed  •  and 
your  petitioners  will,  as  in  duty  bound,  ever  pray.'' 


104  MEMOIRS    OF 

onization  society^^  auxiliarij  to  that  formed  at  Washing- 
ton, was  agreed  to — a  plan  of  a  constitution  for  the  same, 
was  prepared  and  adopted — and  officers  were  appoint- 
ed for  the  ensuing-  year. 

"  The  following  extract  from  a  letter  received  by  Mr. 
Finley  from  Paul  Cuffee  will  be  read  with  interest : — 

*'  Westport^first  months  (January)  8,  1817. 

"  I  received  thy  letter  of  the  .5th  ult.  not  in  time  to  an- 
swer thee  at  Washington.  I  observe  in  the  printed  pe- 
tition in  thy  letter,  the  great  and  laborious  task  you  are 
engaged  in,  and  my  desires  are  that  you  may  be  guided 
by  wisdom's  best  means.  I  stand  as  it  w  ere  in  a  low 
place,  and  am  not  able  to  see  far.  But,  blessed  be  God, 
who  hath  created  all  things,  and  who  is  able  to  make 
use  of  instruments  as  best  pleaseth  Him,  and  may  I  be 
resigned  to  his  holy  will.  The  population,  of  Sierra 
Leone,  in  1311,  w^as  two  thousand,  and  one  thousand  in 
the  suburbs.  Since  that  time  they  have  not  been  num- 
bered. But  from  1811,  to  1815,  I  think  the  colony  has 
much  improved.  They  are  entitled  to  every  privilege 
of  free-born  citizens,  and  fill  stations  in  their  courts."*^ 

The  society  for  colonizing  the  free  people  of  col- 
our, established  at  Washington,  December  1816,  held 
its  first  anniversary,  on  Thursday,  the  first  of  January, 
1818,  in  the  chamber  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
The  appropriate  address  with  which  the  Hon.  Bushrod 
Washington,  president  of  the  society,  opened  the  meet- 

*It  is  much  regretted  that  thi.«  society  has  not  been  convened  since  the  adjourned 
meeting  held  in  the  city  of  Trenton  soon  :ifter  its  fo^m  tion.  Its  officers,  its  mera- 
bers  and  its  advocates,  are,  however,  only  w  aiting  to  receive  the  report  of  the 
commissioners  of  the  parent  society,  that,  having  the  great  object  in  contempla- 
tion, more  fully  and  clearly  placed  before  them,  they  may  pursue  it  with  more  in- 
telligence and  effect. 


DR.  FINLEY.  105 

ing,  presents  the  following  valuable  and  pleasing  intima- 
tions, with  regard  to  the  operations  and  prospects  of  the 
society  : — 

"  From  every  quarter  of  the  United  States,  the  aspira- 
tions of  good  men  have  been  breathed  to  Heaven  for  the 
success  of  our  future  labours. 

"Among  a  small  but  opulent  society  of  slave-holders 
in  Virginia,  a  subscription  has  been  raised,  by  the  zeal- 
ous exertions  of  a  few  individuals,  of  such  magnitude, 
as  to  illustrate  the  extent  of  the  funds,  w^hich  we  may  hope 
hereafter  to  command,  and  to  induce  a  confident  hope 
that  our  labours  will  be  aw^arded  by  the  willing  contri- 
butions of  a  generous  and  enlightened  people. 

*' Other  public  spirited  individuals  have  forborne  to 
make  similar  efforts,  until  the  success  of  our  preparatory 
measures  shall  have  been  clearly  ascertained. 

*^  The  society  have  engaged  two  agents  to  explore 
the  Western  coasts  of  Africa,  and  to  collect  such  infor- 
mation as  may  assist  the  government  of  the  United  States 
in  selecting  a  suitable  district  on  that  continent  for  the 
proposed  settlement.  The  performance  of  this  prelimi- 
nary duty  has  been  confided  to  Samuel  J.  Mills,  and 
Ebenezer  Burgess,  gentlemen  possessing  all  the  qualifi- 
cations requisite  for  the  important  trust  confided  to 
them  ;  and  their  report  may  reasonably  be  expected  be- 
fore the  next  annual  meeting  of  the  society." 

The  following  interesting  paragraphs  are  extracted 
from  the  first  annual  report  of  the  Board  of  Managers, 
read  at  the  anniversary  of  the  society  : — 

"  The  first  step  of  the  Board  of  Managers  was  to  pre- 
sent a  memorial  to  Congress  at  their  last  session,  which, 
with  the  report  of  the  committee,  to  whom  it  w^as  referred, 
is  now  laid  before  the  society.     The  nature  and  novolt> 

14 


106  MEMOIRS    OF 

of  the  subject,  not  less  than  the  mass  of  business  which 
en^s^aged  the  deliberations  of  that  body,  did  not  permit 
them  to  pursue  the  report. 

"  We  are  happy  to  state  that  auxiliary  societies^^  have 
been  formed,  in  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  New-York, 
Virginia,  and  Ohio,  and  the  Board  have  received  infor- 
mation of  the  intention  of  forming  other  societies  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  country.  The  extension  of  these  aux- 
iliaries is  of  the  first  importance,  as  it  is  by  their  means 
the  public  mind  must  be  enlightened  on  the  great  and 
important  objects  of  the  society,  and  it  is  through  them, 
in  some  measure,  the  necessary  funds  must  be  drawn  for 
its  support." 

With  regard  to  the  objection  founded  on  the  '  sup- 
posed repugnance  of  the  colonists,'  this  report  furnishes 
the  following  animating  information. 

"  The  managers  have  ascertained  that  there  are  num- 
bers of  the  highest  standing  for  intelligence  and  respect- 
ability among  that  class  of  people,  who  are  warmly  in 
favour  of  the  plan,  from  a  conviction  that  it  will,  if  ac- 
complished, powerfully  co-operate  in  placing  the  situa- 
tion of  their  brethren  here  and  in  Africa,  in  that  scale  of 
happiness  and  respectability  among  the  nations  of  the 
earth,  from  which  they  have  long  been  degraded. 

"  Offers  of  service  have  been  received  from  many 
worthy  and  influential  individuals  of  their  own  colour, 
and  from  a  number  of  families  from  different  parts  of  the 
United  States,  to  become  the  first  settlers  in  the  colony, 
whenever  a  suitable  situation  shall  be  procured.  The 
managers  can  with  confidence  state  their  belief,  that 
they  would  have  no  difficulty  in  procuring  individuals 

''''-  To  this  number  might  have  been  added  the  auxiliary  society  of  New- Jersey. 


UR.  FINLET.  103 

among  them  worthy  of  trust  and  confidence,  to  explore 
the  country  if  necessary,  and  to  plant  a  colony  of  suffi- 
cient strength  to  secure  its  safety  and  prosperity. 
This  being  accomplished,  there  can  be  no  difficulty  in 
presenting  its  importance  to  their  brethren,  in  such  a 
manner,  and  with  such  unquestionable  testimony,  as 
must  command  their  fullest  confidence.'* 

The  manner  in  which  the  death  of  Doctor  Finley  is 
noticed  in  the  close  of  this  report  is  particularly  gratify- 
ing :— 

'^  The  managers  cannot  pass  the  occasion,  without 
noticing  the  death  of  the  Reverend  Doctor  Finley,  one 
of  the  vice  Presidents,  during  the  past  year.  The  deep 
interest  which  he  took  in  the  success  of  the  society,  and 
the  zeal  he  displayed  in  its  formation,  are  well  known  to 
many  present.  In  his  last  sickness,  he  was  much  grati- 
fied upon  receiving  information  of  the  progress  of  the 
society,  and  of  its  prospects  of  success.  It  gave  conso- 
lation to  his  last  moments.  When  we  view  the  society 
in  this  early  stage  of  its  proceedings,  as  animating  the 
hopes  and  cheering  the  prospects  of  the  dying  Christian 
who  had  been  engaged  in  its  service  :  when  we  view  it 
as  consecrated  by  the  prayers  of  the  pious,  may  we  not 
be  led  with  humble  confidence  to  look  to  the  good  hand 
of  an  overruling  Providence  to  guide  its  deliberations  1 
May  we  not  expect  that  the  benediction  of  millions  yet 
unborn  shall  bless  its  anniversary  ?" 

At  this  anniversary  the  following  important  intelli- 
gence was  communicated  in  a  concise  address  by  the  el- 
oquent and  humane  Mercer  of  Virginia,  to  whose  tal- 
ents, influence  and  liberality,  this  enterprise  is  encourag- 
ed to  look  with  high  expectation  : — 


108  MEMOIRS    OF 

"Many  thousand  individuals  you  well  know  Mr. 
President,  are  restrained  said  Mr.  M.  from  manumitting 
their  slaves,  as  you  and  I  are,  by  the  melancholy  convic- 
tion, tiiat  they  cannot  yield  to  the  suggestions  of  hu- 
manity, without  manifest  injury  to  their  country. 

"  The  rapid  increase  of  the  free  people  of  colour,  by  . 
which  their  number  was  extended  in  the  ten  years  pre- 
ceding the  last  census  of  the  United  States,  from  15  to 
30,000,  if  it  has  not  endangered  our  peace  has  impaired 
the  value  of  all  the  private  property  in  a  large  section  of 
our  country.  Upon  our  low  lands  said  Mr.  Mercer,  it 
seems  as  if  some  malediction  had  been  shed.  The  hab- 
itations of  our  fathers  have  sunk  into  ruins,  the  fields 
which  they  tilled  have  become  a  wilderness.  Such  is 
the  table  land  between  the  valleys  of  our  great  rivers. 
Those  newly  grown  and  almost  impenetrable  thickets 
which  have  succeeded  a  wretched  cultivation,  shel- 
ter and  conceal  a  banditti,  consisting  of  this  degraded, 
idle  and  vicious  population,  who  sally  forth  from  their 
coverts,  beneath  the  obscurity  of  night,  and  plunder  the 
rich  proprietors  of  the  valleys.  They  infest  the  sub- 
urbs of  the  towns  and  cities,  where  they  become  the 
depositories  of  stolen  goods,  and  schooled  by  neces- 
sity, elude  the  vigilance  of  our  defective  police. 

"  The  laws  of  Virginia  now  discourage,  and  very  wise- 
ly perhaps,  the  emancipation  of  slaves.  But  the  very 
policy  on  which  they  are  founded,  will  afford  every  fa- 
cility to  emancipation,  when  the  colonization  of  the 
slave  will  be  Uie  consequence  of  his  liberation." 

In  the  course  of  Mr.  Finiey's  visit  at  the  seat  of  gov- 
ernment, he  preached  frequently,  and  the  people  who 
attended  his  ministrations  in  Washington  and  its  vicini- 
ty, became  exceedingly  pleased  and  interested  in  him  as 


DR.     FINLElf.  109 

a  minister  of  the  gospel.  JMy  very  respectable  corres- 
pondent in  that  city,  has  communicated  the  following- 
concise  and  satisfactory  statement  on  that  subject : — 

"  During  his  stay  here,  Mr.  Finley  was  much  engaged 
in  preaching  and  visiting.  He  preached  in  Washington, 
Georgetown  and  Alexandria  several  times,  and  to  the 
very  great  acceptance  of  the  people.  I  never  knew  a 
preacher  in  this  District,  that  gained  more  of  the  public 
afTection,  in  the  short  time  he  was  among  us.  He  re- 
ceived a  unanimous  call  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
this  city,  and  I  believe  would  have  settled  here,  but  for 
some  previous  engagements  to  Georgia,  which  were 
urged  upon  him  The  people  were  greatly  disap- 
pointed upon  hearing  that  he  could  not  settle  among 
us.  Our  congregation  is  small  and  poor,  yet  the  salary 
was  more  than  doubled  to  enable  him  to  come.  At  a 
meeting  of  the  committee  of  the  church  and  the  elders, 
of  eight  persons,  five  hundred  dollars  were  subscribed 
in  addition  to  their  usual  subscriptions,  to  enable  Mr. 
Finley  to  settle  here." 

Very  soon  after  Mr.  Finley  returned  from'  Washing- 
ton, he  received  the  following  letter  from  the  Secretary 
of  the  Corporation  of  the  University  of  Georgia,  inform- 
ing him  of  his  appointment  to  the  Presidency  of  that  in- 
stitution, and  urging  his  acceptance  of  it  :— 

''Athens,  December  2\,  ltS16. 
"  Reverend  Sir, 

"  It  is  with  much  sincere  pleasure  that  I  take  up  my 
pen,  to  address  you  on  the  subject  of  our  former  corres- 
pondence. This  pleasure  is  not  alittle  increased  by  the  ar- 
dent hope  that  the  correspondence  no  w  officially  commen- 
ced, or  re-cnmmencod;  by  the  Hoard  of  Trustee?,  will 


110  MEMOIRS  OF 

result  in  your  removal  to  Athens,  and  in  your  talking  th(? 
superintendence  and  direction  of  the  University  of 
Georgia.  At  a  late  meeting  of  the  Board,  the  appoint- 
ment was  conferred  upon  you  unanimously,  and  Gover- 
nor Early  was  directed  to  announce  the  same  to  you, 
and  to  solicit  your  acceptance  of  it.  The  resolution  con 
ferring  the  appointment  is  in  the  words  following,  which 
I  transcribe,  lest  the  Governor's  letter  might  miscarry : 

"  «  Resolved,  That  the  Pvev.  Robert  Finley,  of  New- 
Jersey,  be,  and  he  is  hereby  appointed  President  of  the 
University  of  Georgia,  in  the  place  of  the  Rev.  John 
Brown,  resigned,  with  a  salary  of  g  1500  per  annum, 
payable  quarterly  ;  and  that  a  copy  of  the  above  resolu- 
tion be  transmitted  to  Mr.  Finley,  by  Governor  Early, 
the  Senior  Trustee,  presiding  at  this  meeting,  together 
with  a  statement  of  the  present  and  future  funds  of  the 
University.' 

"  Governor  Early  will  inform  you  of  the  state  of  the 
funds  of  the  institution,  present  and  in  prospect.  On 
that  subject  I  would  only  observe,  that  there  is  no  doubt 
in  my  mind,  that  the  Trustees  will  soon  possess  the 
means  as  well  as  the  disposition  to  give  their  officers 
such  salaries  as  will  be  perfectly  adequate  to  their  com- 
fort  and  convenience.  For  reasons  which  cannot  be 
stated  in  a  letter,  Dr.  Brown  tendered  his  resignation 
to  the  Board  some  time  in  the  spring,  which  was  accept- 
ed in  November  last.  The  Doctor  has  retired  and  re- 
sides a  few  miles  from  the  village.  He  is  very  solicit- 
ous that  you  should  accept  the  appointment.  You  will 
find  in  him  a  friend  and  brother  and  an  excellent  man. 
Mr.  Golding,  son-in-law  to  Dr.  Brovvn,  is  the  professor 
of  languages.  With  equal  ardour  he  awaits  your  arri- 
val, to  take  charge  of  the  institution.      Mr.  Camak,  a 


DR.  FINLEY.  Ill 

graduate  of  the  South  Carolina  college,  ayoi^nc^  gentle- 
man of  fine  talents,  is  professor  of  mathematics  and 
astronomy.  Dr.  Henry  Jackson,  late  American  Charge 
d'  affliirs  at  Paris,  and  not  yet  returned  from  that  coun- 
try, but  expected  soon,  is  professor  of  chemistry,  mine- 
ralogy, &c.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  great  science,  of  un- 
common modesty  and  much  merit.  In  every  measure 
having  for  its  object  the  well  being  and  well  doing  of 
the  college,  you  vvill  have  the  hearty  co-operation  of  the 
faculty,  as  well  as  their  easy  and  voluntary  subordina- 
tion^ and  they  will  be  happy  in  your  official  connection 
with  them. 

"  It  is  wished  that  you  should  come  on  immediately, 
and  if  necessary  without  your  family,  and  stay  till  com- 
mencement, on  the  second  Monday  in  July,  after  which 
you  could  return,  and  in  the  course  of  the  following  au- 
tumn bring  on  your  family.  I  hope,  my  dear  sir,  you 
will  view  this  as  a  providential  opening  for  your  remo- 
val to  a  southern  climate,  and  to  a  sphere  of  extensive 
usefulness.  There  are  few  healthier^'  spots  in  the 
world  than  Athens,  although  it  be  Georgia.  The  insti- 
tution has  been  in  operation  here  sixteen  years,  and  the 
grave  of  a  student  is  not  to  be  seen.  I  hope  you  will 
not  hesitate  a  moment  to  accept. 

*  In  confirmation  of  ^his  part  of  Mr.  Hodge's  instructing  and  agreeable  cora- 
Hiunication,  a  friend  residing  at  Athens,  formerly  an  inhabitant  of  New-Jersey, 
writes  as  follows : — 

''Athens,  January  2Sth,  1818, 

"  A  healthier  spot  than  this  cannot  be  found.  The  climate  is  a  delightful  one. 
This  is  as  pleasant  a  day  as  I  ever  felt  in  the  month  of  April.  Our  summers  are 
more  agreeable  than  at  the  north.  Our  mornings  and  evenings  are  like  your 
pleasantest  weather  in  June;  and  it  is  not  uncomfortable  in  the  middle  of  the 
day,  unless  exposed  to  the  sun.  It  seems  very  congenial  to  my  constitution.  1 
enjoy  better  health  than  I  have  in  twenty  years." 


112  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  In  the  midst  of  much  other  business,  preparatory  to 
a  journey  of  two  weeks'  continuance,  on  which  1  am  to 
set  out,  Deo  volente,  to  morrow,  I  have  written  this  let- 
ter hastily.  Excuse  its  imperfections,  and  have  the 
goodness  to  answer  it  immediately. 
"  I  am  affectionately 

and  very  respectfully, 
your  friend, 

JOHN  IIODGE. 
^^Rev.  R.  Finley." 

In  a  few  days  after  the  reception  of  Mr.  Hodge's  let- 
ter. Governor  Early's  oiFicial  communication  on  the 
same  subject,  reached  iMr.  Finley.  The  subject  of  his 
removal  to  Georgia  was  now  presented  to  him  the  third 
time,  which  circumstance,  in  connection  with  others, 
rendered  the  application  peculiarly  deserving  of  his  re- 
spectful and  attentive  regard.  As  the  great  outlines  of 
this  important  subject,  by  previous  inquiry  and  reflec- 
tion, had  become  familiar  to  his  mind,  he  seems  to  have 
spent  but  little  time  in  deliberating  upon  it,  before  he 
addressed  to  Governor  Early  the  following  letter,  in  an- 
swer to  that'^^  received  from  him  :— 

''Basking  Ridge,  Feb.  21,  181  f. 
^«  Peter  Early,  Esq. 

"  Dear  Sir, — Your  favour  of  the  date  of  January 
15,  1817,  and  with  the  post-mark  of  January  29,  arrived 
here  yesterday,  and  was  received  by  me  to  day.  A  let- 
ter from  the  Rev.  John  Hodge,  of  Athens,  had  apprised 

*  The  communication  of  Gov.  Early,  which  was  very  valuable  and  interesting 
on  this  subject,  has  been  unfortimatdy  lost,  in  the  course  of  Mr.  Finley's  removaU 


DR.     FINLEY.  118 

me  of  the  appointment  mentioned  in  3^our  commun'ca- 
tion  :  and  if  I  were  as  well  convinced  of  my  ability  to 
fill  the  station,  as  I  am  sensible  of  the  honour  conferred 
on  me,  I  should  be  more  gratified  with  the  appointment 
and  more  ready  to  accept  it.  My  friends  have  ever 
been  inclined  to  overrate  my  qualifications  for  useful- 
ness, and  I  have  often  been  afraid,  that  from  this  circum- 
stance I  might  be  led  to  take  some  step,  which  in  the 
end  would  be  unpleasant  to  them  as  well  as  to  myself.  In 
the  early  part  of  my  life  I  spent  a  year  at  Charleston, 
South  Carolina,  and  brought  away  with  me  a  partiality 
for  the  South,  which  at  different  times  has  made  the 
idea  *of  a  permanent  settlement'  in  a  more  southern  cli- 
mate, pleasant  to  me.  Some  time  in  the  early  part  of 
January,  I  had  a  conversation  with  the  Hon.  William 
H.  Crawford,  Esq.  at  Washington,  on  the  present  state 
and  future  prospects  of  Franklin  College.  From  the 
conversation  had  with  him,  an  idea  was  received,  that 
the  funds  of  the  institution  now  or  shortly  would  war- 
rant a  salary  of  two  thousand  dollars  to  the  President. 
On  the  receipt  of  Mr.  Hodge's  letter,  and  after  having  wait- 
ed for  three  weeks  for  the  official  information,  it  appeared 
tome  correct,  under  the  impression  thatyourlettermight 
have  miscarried,  to  write  to  Mr.  Hodge,  and  express  my 
feelings  on  this  subject,  especially  as  he  desired  me  to 
do  so.  After  seeing  a  publication  in  the  Savannah  Re- 
publican, as  your  letter  did  not  still  arrive,  it  was  deem- 
ed not  improper  to  write  to  Mr.  Crawford,  Dr.  Kollock, 
and  Thomas  Curaming,  Esq.  of  Augusta,  all  of  whom 
were  understood  to  belong  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  of 
the  University.  It  was  stated  in  each  of  the  letters 
written  to  those  gentlemen,  that  the  appointment  would 
be  accepted  on  condition  that  the  salary  of  the  president: 

15 


114  MEMOIRS  OF 

should  be  two  thousand  dollars  per  annum  as  soon  as  the 
funds  would  admit,  and  in  the  just  expectation  that  this 
would  be  the  case  in  twelve  or  eighteen  months  from 
next  May  ;  and  on  the  farther  condition  that  the  Board 
should  pay  the  general  expenses  of  removing  my  family 
from  this  place  to  Athens.     My  property  is  of  such  a 
kind  that  the  far  greater  part  must  be  left  behind,  or  sold 
at  a  very  great  loss.     Permit  me,  sir,  to  state  to  you  for 
the  information  of  the  Board,  my  willingness  to  accept 
the    appointment    on    the  conditions   just  mentioned. 
Should  the  conditions  appear  unreasonable,  or  it  be  in- 
expedient to  comply  with  them,  it  will  be  a  subject  oi 
sincere  regret  to  me,  that  the  Trustees  should  be  disap- 
pointed, or  the  institution  suffer  in  the  slightest  degree. 
It  was  perhaps  wished  that  I  should  come  immediately 
on,  after  receiving  notice  of  the  appointment.    But  when 
it  is  considered  that  there  is  in  this  place  an  academy  un- 
der my  superintendence,  which  could  not  be  dissolved 
at  once  without  some  appearance  of  impropriety ;  and 
further,  that  as  a  clergyman,  my  connection  with  the 
church  of  which  I  am  pastor,  is  formed  by  the  power  of 
a  Presbytery,  and  can  regularly  be  dissolved  by  it  alone; 
it  appeared  to  me  too  great  a  violation  of  propriety,  to 
think  of  coming  before  May.     It  was  intimated  to  the 
gentlemen  to  whom  I  wrote,  that  I  would  prepare  to 
leave  New-York  by  the  first  good  vessel  that  may  sail 
for  Savannah  in  that  month.     Arrangements  will  be  go- 
ing forward,  as  if  a  removal  were  determined  on,  but  in 
such  a  way  as  to  suit  my  convenience  in  removing  or 
continuing  where  I  am.    1  am  sensible  that  there  cannot 
well  be  a  meeting  of  the  Board'  to  determine  on  the 
points  in  question  within  the  time  proposed,  and  that  I 
must  be  satisfied  with  individual  opinions.     It  will  there- 


DR.  FINLKY.  115 

lore  be  acceptable  if  these  opinions  should  be  express- 
ed without  any  reserve,  and  as  soon  as  convenient. 

*^  You  will  be  good  enough  to  see  nothing  but  the 
frankness  of  a  candid  mind,  in  all  that  I  have  done  since 
the  receipt  of  Mr.  Hodge's  letter,  and  a  desire  to  meet 
the  wishes  of  the  trustees  in  a  way  compatible  with  my 
own  interests.  Should  it  be  so  directed,  it  cannot  but 
be  v^ery  agreeable  to  me,  to  labour  with  yourself  in  pro» 
moting  the  interests  of  literature  in  Georgia,  and  there- 
by benefitting  our  fellow  men. 

'*  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  assure  you,  Sir,  that  with  es- 
teem and  very  great  respect, 
I  am,  sincerely, 

Yours, 

KOBERTFINLEY." 

The  period  that  elapsed  between  the  sending  of  thislet- 
ter,  and  the  reception  of  an  answer,  was  to  Mr.  Finley 
a  season  of  great  suspense  and  anxiety.  His  mind,  dur- 
ing this  period  "  fatis  contraria  fata  rependens"  seems  to 
have  taken  some  new  and  unfavourable  views  of  the  sub- 
ject. The  difficulties  attending  the  transportation  of  a 
large  family,  to  so  remote  a  situation — the  painful  emo- 
tions excited  by  the  near  view  of  entire  separation  from 
numerous,  respectable  and  dear  relatives,  and  settling  in 
a  land  of  strangers — apprehensions,  respecting  the  ope- 
ration of  a  southern  climate  on  himself  and  family — and 
a  more  careful  consideration  of  the  state  and  prospects 
of  the  college,  the  high  responsibility  and  the  arduous 
labours  he  must  encounter,  the  uncertainty  of  ultimate 
success  arising  from  a  view  of  the  failure  of  former  ef- 
forts, of  the  insubordination  of  southern  youth  and  of  the 
secluded  situation  of  the  college — these  things  produced 


116  MEMOIRS    OF 

SO  great  a  hesitation,  so  serious  a  conflict  in  his  mindj 
that  he  regretted  his  having  conditionally  pledged  him- 
self to  the  Board  of  Trustees.  He  would  willingly  have 
discovered  some  way  in  which  he  could  retract,  con= 
sistently,  with  honour  and  with  truth.  He  waited  with 
great  anxiety  for  the  expected  reply  to  his  proposal,  and 
hoped  that  some  sufficient  room  would  be  afforded  for 
him  to  withdraw  from  his  engagement.  On  the  iTth 
day  of  April,  the  last  day  of  the  period,  during  which  he 
considered  himself  committed  to  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  the  Georgia  university,  their  answer  reached  him,  ex- 
pressing unequivocally  a  full  agreement  to  every  sug- 
gestion he  had  made  to  them,  relative  to  his  removal. 
His  suspense  was  now  at  an  end.  The  path  ofhis  duty  he 
considered  pointed  out  by  divine  providence;  and,  from 
this  moment,  he  resolved  humbly  and  cheerfully  to  submit 
to  what  appeared  to  him  to  be  the  will  of  God,  and  to 
cast  his  care  upon  him.  He  began  immediately  to  make 
the  necessary  preparations  for  leaving  New-Jersey,  that 
he  might,  if  possible,  reach  the  place  of  destination,  be- 
fore the  extreme  heat  of  summer. 

When  the  corporation  of  Princeton  college  opened 
their  sessions,  April  12th,  18 17,  a  letter  from  Mr.  Finley 
was  laid  before  them  tendering  his  resignation  of  the  of- 
fice of  Trustee,  which  he  had  now  filled  Avith  great  re- 
spectability and  usefulness  for  twelve  years.  His  resig- 
nation was  accepted  by  the  Board  ;  and  by  their  unani- 
mous vote,  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  was  con- 
ferred on  Mr.  Finley,  as  an  honourable  expression  of 
their  high  sense  of  his  talents,  piety  and  usefulness. 

On  the  4th  Tuesday  of  April  following,  he  met  for  the 
last  time,  his  brethren  of  the  presbytery  of  New-Bruns- 
wick, at  the  stated  semi-annual  meeting  of  that  body. 


©R.    FINLEY.  llf 

From  the  numerous  cares  and  the  necessary  arrange- 
ments, which  called  so  imperiously  for  his  presence  and 
attention  at  home,  at  this  moment,  he  was  able  to  spare 
time  sufficient  only  to  transact  the  business  necessary,  to 
his  separation  from  the  people  of  his  charge,  and  to  his 
being  regularly  connected  with  that  presbytery,  into  the 
bounds  of  which  he  contemplated  removing. 

The  following  copy  of  the  original  document  with 
which  Dr.  Finley  was  furnished  by  the  presbytery  of 
New  Brunswick,  will  give  a  correct  view  of  the  order, 
in  which  this  business  was  transacted. 

'*  At  a  meeting  of  the  presbytery  of  New-Brunswick 
at  Allentown,  April  22d,  ISIT,  a  minute  was  made  of 
which  the  following  is  a  true  copy,  viz  : 

"The  Rev.  Dr.  Finley  represented  to  the  presbytery, 
thst  he  has  been  appointed  president  of  the  university  of 
Georgia,  and  eajnestly  requested  to  accept  the  appoint- 
ment, and  that  on  mature  deliberation  he  has  deemed  it 
his  duty  to  comply  with  the  request  —In  consequence  of 
which  he  des:recl  that  the  pagtoral  relation  between  him 
and  the  conr^reg  ition  of  Basking  Ridge  be  dissolved, 
and  that  he  be  disiiiissed  from  this  presbytery  to  connect 
himself  with  the  presbytery  of  Hopewell. 

"  The  congregation  of  Basking  Ridge  present  by  their 
commissioner  Joseph  Annin,  Esq.  being  inquired  of 
whether  they  had  any  opposition,  or  communication  to 
make  on  the  subject  of  Dr.  Finley's  request,  produced 
the  following  document,  viz  : 

"  At  a  meeting  of  the  congregation  of  Basking  Ridge, 
on  Monday  the  21st  day  of  April,  1811,  to  adopt  such 
measures  as  they  might  deem  advisable,  Avith  respect  to 
the  Pvev.  Robert  Finley's  application  to  be  discharged 
from  his  pastoral  charge  of  said   congregation.     Thf; 


118  MEMOIRS  OF 

Honourable  Henry  Southard,  was  appointed  Moderator, 
and  William  B.  Gaston,  Clerk.  The  subject  being-  agitated 
and  discussed,  it  was  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  congre- 
gation, that  they  sincerely  regret  the  application  of  Mr. 
Finley  to  be  discharged  from  his  pastoral  charge  of  the 
congregation — but  yielding  to  Mr.  Finley's  wishes,  and 
under  existing  circumstances,  and  as  an  act  of  friendly 
attachment  to  Mr.  Finley,  it  is  the  unanimous  vote  of 
the  congregation  to  make  no  opposition  to  the  presbyte- 
ry's discharging  I\Ir.  Finley  from  his  pastoral  charge  of 
this  congregation.  And  it  is  further  the  unanimous  vote 
of  the  congregation,  that  Joseph  Annin,  Esq.  be  a  com- 
missioner to  convey  the  sense  of  this  meeting  to  pres- 
bytery.     (Signed) 

HENRY  SOUTHARD,  Moderator, 

WILLIAM  B.  GASTON,  Clerks 

"  On  motion,  resolved  that  the  request  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Finley  be  granted,  and  that  the  pastoral  relation  be- 
tween him  and  the  congregation  of  Basking  Ridge,  be 
and  it  hereby  is  dissolved,  and  said  congregation  is  de- 
clared to  be  vacant. 

"  Resolved  further,  that  Dr.  Finley  be  and  he  hereby  is 
dismissed  from  this  presbytery  to  join  the  presbytery  of 
Hopewell. 

"  The  presbytery  in  thus  dismissing  Dr.  Finley  to  remove 
to  so  great  a  distance,  feel  all  that  reluctance,  which  at- 
tachment to  a  beloved  brother,  and  a  sense  of  his  long 
and  important  services  to  this  part  of  the  church  of 
Christ,  might  be  supposed  to  produce.  Hoping  and  be- 
lieving, however,  that  he  maybe  still  more  useful  in  the 
honourable  £phere  of  duty  to  which  he  is  called,  they 
dismiss  him  with  many  fervent  prayers  for  his  comfort 
and  usefulness,  and  cordially  and  affectionately  recora- 


DR.  FINLEY.  119 

mend  him  to  the  presbytery  of  Hopewell,  as  a  minister  in 
good  standing. 

Signed  by  order  of  the  presbytery. 

ASHBEL  GREEN,  Moderator. 
WILLIAM  C.  SCHENCK,  Clerk,'' 

Dr.  Finley's  last  interview  with  the  presbytery  was 
tender  and  affecting.  Parting  with  his  beloved  fellow- 
presbyters,  and  associates  in  the  Lord's  service,  among 
whom  he  had  for  so  long  a  period,  both  given  and  re- 
ceived, numerous  and  endearing  evidences  of  respect 
and  afTection,  produced  many  painful  emotions.  In  ad- 
justing several  minor  concerns,  relating  to  the  business 
which  chiefly  occupied  his  mind,  his  sensibilities  ap- 
peared to  be  much  excited  ;  but  it  was  only,  by  a  great 
effort  that  he  was  enabled  to  suppress  his  feelings,  so  as 
to  state  briefly  his  circumstances,  and  request  a  dis- 
charge from  his  pastoral  obligation,  and  a  dismission 
from  the  pre§bytery.  As  a  mark  of  peculiar  respect, 
and  contrary  to  the  custom  of  this  presbytery,  a  commit- 
tee was  appointed  to  draught  the  form  of  dismission  de- 
livered to  Dr.  Finley  which  is  embraced  in  the  pre- 
ceding document. 

Dr.  Finley's  feelings  would  not  permit  him  to  take 
leave  of  his  congregation  in  a  formal  valedictory  dis- 
course. Most  of  the  sermons  which  he  delivered,  after 
the  separation  had  been  resolved  on,  were  how^ever  pecu- 
liarly adapted  to  his  trying  circumstances  and  prepara- 
tory to  his  contemplated  removal.*     The  weekly  socie- 

*  Some  time  before  Dr.  Finley  received  his  final  call  from  Georgia,  he  com- 
menced a  coarse  of  lectures  to  his  congregation,  on  the  1 1th  chapter  of  the  Gospel 
of  St.  John.  When  he  began,  he  had  no  intention  of  continuing  through  that 
chapter:  but.  he  became  much  interested  himself  with  the  subjects  presented 


120  ^lEMOIRS  OF 

ty,  at  which  he  attended  in  the  academy  on  the  Friday 
evening-,  immediately  preceding*  the  last  Sabbath  he 
spent  at  Basking  Ridge,  exhibited  a  scene  truly  solemn 
and  affecting.  Of  the  crowded  assembly  present,  far  the 
greater  part  were  professors  of  religion,  many  of  them 
young  and  almost  all  fruits  of  his  ministry.  The  subject 
of  discourse  Philippians,  i.  27.  was  happily  chosen — 
"Only  let  your  conversation  be  as  itbecometh  the  gos- 
pel of  Christ  :  that  whether  I  come  to  see  you  or  else  be 
absent,  I  may  hear  of  your  affairs,  that  ye  stand  fast  in 
one  spirit,  with  one  mind,  striving  together  for  the  faith 
of  the  gospel."  On  this  occasion  he  manifested  his  pe- 
culiarly strong  and  ardent  attachment  to  this  people,  and 
his  deep  and  solemn  concern  for  their  everlasting  salva- 
tion. He  exerted  all  the  influence  of  his  warm  affection 
and  powerful  eloquence,  especially,  when  addressing 
those  whom  he  considered  as  his  children  in  Christ,  to 
inspire  them  with  steadfastness,  vigilance  and  zeal,  in  the 
Christian  course.  Towards  the  close  of  his  sermon,  in 
the  midst  of  his  strong  and  moving  persuasives,  he  said^ 
"  If  it  would  add  to  my  importunity,  any  additional  force 
and  effect,  I  would  beseech  you  on  my  bended  knees  to 
remember  and  observe  my  affectionate,  parting  coun- 
sel"— upon  saying  which,  kneeling  down  he  poured 
forth  his  soul  before  them  for  some  minutes  in  that  atti- 

in  order,  and  the  lectures  appeared  extremely  interesting  to  the  people  :  so  that 
he  continued  this  exercise  sometime,  and  closed  his  ministry  at  Basking  Ridge 
with  the  17th  chapter.  From  the  commencement  of  these  lectures,  a  considera- 
ble portion  of  the  people  had  an  impression,  that  he  intended  to  leave  them,  and 
that  these  discourses  were  designed  to  prepare  their  minds  for  that  event.  Dur- 
ing the  last  week.  Dr.  Finley  and  his  family  spent  at  Basking  Ridge,  one  of  the 
congregation  requested  these  discourses  of  Mrs  Finley  He  was  much  surprised 
and  disappointed,  on  being  informed  that  they  were  not  written,  inasmuch  as  he 
had  entertained  the  expectation,  that  they  had  been  prepared  to  be  left  with  the 
people. 


t)R.  FINLEY.  121 

tude  exhorting  and  entreating  them  by  the  terrors  and 
mercies  of  the  Lord,  to  "  let  their  conversation  be  as  be- 
Cometh  the  gospel  of  Christ.  The  people  from  the  com- 
mencement of  the  exercises  had  appeared  exceedingly- 
solemn  and  much  affected.  This  new,  unusual^  and  pa- 
thetic appeal  to  their  hearts,  roused  all  their  sensibilities 
overpowered  the  whole  assembly,  and  drew  tears  from 
every  eye.  In  this  discourse  Dr.  Finley  addressed  the 
people  on  the  importance  of  their  continuing  to  observe 
the  Friday  evening  society,  which  had  been  commenced 
during  the  first  revival  under  his  ministry  among  them, 
A.  D.  1803.  He  then  stated,  that  for  fifteen  years,  he 
had  never  been  absent  from  that  society,  when  at  home, 
but  once  :  "and  then  said  he,  1  was  sici;  on  ni}^  bed,  but 
my  heart  was  with  you." 

On  the  Sabbath  following,  he  administered  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  supper,  and  communed  with  his 
Christian  friends,  at  Basking  Ridge,  for  the  last  time. 
The  assembly  of  people  that  attended  on  this  occasion, 
was  unusually  large  and  very  solemn.  In  the  morning 
Dr.  Finley  preached  the  action  sermoii  which  was  the 
last  discourse  he  ever  delivered  in  his  native  state.     His 


*  Few  instances  are  probably  to  be  found  in  the  annals  of  church  or  state,  in 
which  the  most  vehement  and  empassioned  earnestness  and  zeal  have  manifested 
themselves  in  this  truly  eloquent  and  irresistable  manner. 

The  elegant  Biographer  of  Patrick  Henry,  iu  his  interesting  volume,  before  re- 
ferred to,  page  376,  informs  the  world  that  that  great  man  was  directed  by  the 
strong  impulses  of  native  feeling  and  passion  to  the  same  resort,  in  one  iastance. — 

"  I  learn,  that  on  some  occasion,  after  the  war,  he  appeared  at  the  bar  of  the 
house  of  delegates,  in  support  of  a  petition  of  the  officers  of  the  Virginia  line,  who 
sought  to  be  placed  on  the  footing  of  those  who  had  been  taken  on  continental  es- 
tablishment ;  and  that,  after  having  depicted  their  services  and  their  sufferings, 
in  colours  which  filled  every  heart  with  sympathy  and  gratitude,  he  dropped  on 
his  knees  at  the  bar  of  the  house,  and  presented  such  an  appeal  as  might  almost-, 
have  softened  rocks,  and  bent  the  knotted  oak." 


122  AlEMOIRS    OP 

sermon  was  appropriate*  and  impressive.  The  whole 
multitude  appeared  to  be  greatly  afiected  by  the  solem- 
nities of  public  service  :  but  "  they  sorrowed  most  of  all 

*  To  exhibit  somewhat  more  fully  the  frame  of  mind  which  our  departed 
friend  possessed,  at  this  iulcresting  juncture,  and  to  fuinish  a  specimen  of  the 
kind  of  notes  he  commonly  used,  during  several  of  the  last  years  of  his  ministry, 
the  following  analysis  of  this  sacramental^  sermon,  is  inserted  from  his  own  hand 
writing,  without  alteration  ;-— 

1.  Corinthians,  x  xvi.  The  cup  of  blessing  which  we  bless,  is  it  not  the  com- 
munion of  the  blood  of  Christ  ? — the  bread  which  we  break  is  it  not  the  communion 
of  the  body  of  Christ  P— 

Our  Lord  in  all  his  institutions  consulted  the  edlGcation  of  his  disciples.  In  the 
institution  of  the  supper,  he  instituted  an  ordinance,  that  should  keep  up  the  re- 
membraocfeofhislovp  and  suficrings,  admit  of  fellowship  with  him,  and  naturally 
lead  to  commtmion  among  the  disciples — 

I.  What  communion  is — 

II.  What  the  special  communloQ  which  Christians  bold,  with  cae  another  in 
the  Lord's  supper,  is — 

I.  What  communion  is. 

It  is  that  interchange  of  sentiment  which  produces  a  unity  of  feeling,  and  whicli 
is  so  delightful  to  the  heart. 

We  must  exchange  our  feelings  to  know  each  others  situation. 

We  must  fully  agree  in  order  to  be  unreserved  and  happy.  This  is  of  the  na- 
ture of  that  communion  that  there  is  between  the  soul  and  God. 

II.  What  is  the  special  communion  which  friends  hold  with  one  another  in  the 
Lord's  supper. 

1 .  As  they  are  members  of  Christ— 2.  Aa  they  are  fellow-travellers— 3.  As  thej 
have  future  hopes. 

1    As  they  are  members  of  Christ. 
They  commune  oi"  the  sufFerings — 

of  the  atonement — 

of  the  intercession  of  Christ — 

2.  Ai  they  are  fellow  travellers — 

About  the  conflicts  of  life,  temporal  and  spiritual — 
About  the  goodness  and  love  of  God  and  Christ — 
About  their  own  love  and  forgiveness  to  one  another. 

3.  As  to  their  fuUire  hopes. 

That  they  shall  be  pure  in  the  presence  of  God — 
That  after  all  their  separations,  they  shall  meet  to  part  no  more  — 
We  shall  all  fiieet  with  Chnst— 

Subject  needs  no  improvement  but  to  pray  that  the  spiiit  of  true  comniuuiou 
may  be  gives  to  us. 


DR.  FINLEY.  123 

lor  the  words  which  he  spake  that  they  should  see 
his  face  no  more."  At  the  close  of  the  morning  service 
he  made  some  observations  of  a  valedictory  nature. 
The  whole  address,  he  comprised  in  a  very  few  senten- 
ces, and  concluded  by  bidding  them  a  tender  and  ailec- 
tionate  "  farewell." 

The  church  of  Christ  has  witnessed  few  seasons  of  a 
similar  kind  more  interesting  and  affecting,  than  the 
scene  exhibited  during  these  transactions  at  Basking 
Ridge.  Dr.  Finley's  union  to  the  people  of  that  con- 
gregation was  of  the  most  strong  and  endearing  nature. 
Their  long  continued  love  and  kindness  had  inspired 
him  with  an  unusually  warm  attachment  to  them  :  and 
the  blessings  of  God,  so  often  and  peculiarly,  vouchsafed 
to  their  sacred  connexion  had  cemented  it  still  more 
strongly  and  drawn  its  ties  still  more  closely  together. 
This  union  of  the  pastor  to  his  people  fostered  by  their 
kindness  and  cemented  by  heavenly  grace,  could  not  be 
dissolved  without  a  painful  conflict  in  his  heart.  But 
under  a  deep  and  solemn  persuasion  that  his  separation 
from  them  was  taking  place  at  the  call  of  God,  he  re- 
signed himself  obediently  and  cheerfully  to  that  call. 
At  the  same  time  an  awful  and  indescribable  solemnity 
was  visible  in  his  countenance  and  manners,  on  that  day 
which  closed  his  sacred  ministrations  at  Basking  Ridge. 
He  seemed  to  be  standing  before  the  great  Judge  giving 
his  final  account,  surveying  the  "  seals  of  his  ministry," 
t"he  "crowns  of  his  rejoicing."  Amidst  the  mourning 
and  weeping  which  abounded,  he  preserved  in  gen- 
eral a  steady  composure,  and  seemed  to  be  occupied 
with  matters  which  raised  him  above  the  passing  scene 
^nd  to  be  **  sitting  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus." 


124  MEMOIRS    OF 

The  people  of  that  congregation,  notwithstanding 
their  hnving  forme  iiy  consented  to  the  removal  of  their 
beloved  pastor,  in  a  full  belief  that  it  was  the  Lord's  will, 
manifested  a  deep  and  tender  concern.  It  was  evident 
that  ti'ey  felt  the  reality  and  niagn-tude  of  the  loss  they 
were  about  to  s^jstain  in  this  t.ansai  lion.  They  saw  re- 
tiriiig  fr.vui  them  a  chosen  friend  and  holy  man  of  God,  a 
highly  successful  and  honoured  ambassador  of  Christ. 
All  beheld  in  hin)  d^fuithfvi  preacher  of  the  gospel.  Hun- 
dreds claimed  him  and  hung  around  him  as  their  spiritual 
father  and  guide.  The  poor  and  aSicted  saw  in  him 
departing  a  kind  sympathising  friend  and  benefactor. 
Children  and  youth,  in  his  removal,  mourned  the  loss  of 
a  father.  So  that  this  congregation  must  be  considered 
as  having  been  furnished  in  this  event  with  peculiarly 
great  and  ample  cause  for  humiliation  and  sorrow. — 
And  the  appearances  of  undissembled  grief,  prevailing  on 
every  side,  corresponded  with  these  ideas  and  impres- 
sions. 

On  Monday  following  Dr.  Finley's  moveable  proper- 
ty was  disp?i.^ed  of  at  public  sale.  On  the  evening  of 
the  next  Wednesday  he  arrived  in  New-York.  A  few 
days  were  spent  there  in  making  necessary  arrange- 
ments, for  embarkation,  and  in  taking  leave  of  nume- 
rous and  affectionate  friends.  In  the  beginning  of  the 
next  week  he  sailed  for  Savannah, 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter,  written  by  Dr. 
Finley  to  a  friend,  will  give  some  general  idea  of  what 
he  observed  and  experienced  on  his  passage : — 

"As  I  think  it  probable  that  you  have  been  informed 
of  ray  arrival  by  some  of  the  letters  already  sent  from 
thi^  place,  there  is  no  need  that  1  should  repeat  any 
thing  of  what  has  been  already  stated  of  our  passage. 


BR.  FINLEY.  125 

and  the  various  incidents  arising  out  of  it.  One  thing 
only  seems  worthy  of  a  renewed  mention.  Olf  the 
North  Carolina  coast  we  experienced  a  variety  of 
weather,  head  winds,  cahiis,  and  winds  bkjwing  in  all 
directions,  attended  with  awful  thunder  and  lightning 
which  lasted  the  whole  night.  Toward  the  evening  a 
wiarlwind  passed  near  us,  and  a  waterspout  formed  and 
broke  about  two  miles  or  three  from  us.  It  brought  to 
my  recollection  the  complaint  of  the  Psalmist,  that 
waves  and  mater  spouts  had  gone  over  him,  and  1  had 
some  grand  and  profitable  meditations  on  the  passage, 
one  happy  effect  of  which  was,  that  my  mind  being  fill- 
ed with  the  idea  of  God  and  reconciled  too,  through  hi7n, 
ova^r  whom  the  waterspouts  of  wrath  did  really  break,  my 
mind  was  kept  quite  free  from  fear.     Indeed  it  was  a 

great  source  of  thankfulness  that  except  Miss  R we 

were  all  free  f^om  any  degree  of  powerful  apprehension. 
The  Lord  grant  it  may  be  so  when  we  pass  the  waters 
of  death." 

On  the  16th  day  of  May,  after  being  on  ship-board 
almost  two  weeks,  he  arrived  at  Savannah  with  all  his 
family  in  comfortable  circumstances.  After  this,  he  had 
still  to  encounter  a  land  travel  of  two  hundred  miles  in 
extent,  before  he  could  reach  his  place  of  destination. 
In  regard  to  this  journey,  which  consuhied  fifteen  days, 
he  makes  the  following  remarks,  in  a  letter,  from  Athens, 
to  a  friend  in  New- Jersey  : — 

"We  were  greatly  fatigued  with  our  journey  from 
Savannah  to  this  place,  the  carriage  being  much  crowd- 
ed with  our  large  family,  the  roads  being  hilly  and 
rough,  through  a  new  country  and  dreary,  as  nearly  all 
the  improvements  are  made  off  from  the  road.  By  the 
blessing  of  the  liord  we  are  all  in  health,  though  we 


126  MEMOIRS    Oy 

have  all  been  very  uncomfortable,  I  believe,  through 
the  change  of  water  and  diet.  The  bowels  and  stomach 
have  been  greatly  distressed.  We  are  all  well  rccr)ver- 
ed,  so  that  we  can  begin  to  eat  l)aco77y  the  only  stated 
meat  of  the  counr-ry." 

To  exhibit  Dr.  Finley's  first  impressions  on  his  arrival 
at  Athens,  and  to  eonvey  some  general  idea  of  the  state 
in  which  he  found  the  college,  the  village  in  which  it  is 
located,  and  the  country  in  ^^eneral,  the  following  let- 
ters, addressed  by  him  soon  after  he  reached  that  place 
to  friends  in  this  state,  are  introduced  : — 

'^  June  12ih,  1817,  at  AthenSy  Georgia. 
*<  Dear  Sir, 

"Though  very  far  separated  from  you  in  person, 
yet  I  am  often  present  with  you  in  mind.  Indeed  there 
are  with  you  so  many  comforts  and  conveniences  more 
than  can  be  furnished  here,  that  it  would  be  difficult  to 
keep  my  mind  at  all  from  ray  former  home,  were  it  not 
for  the  necessity  and  duty  of  providing  for  the  present, 
and  endeavouring  to  arrange  for  the  improvement  of  the 
future.  It  would  require  a  good  part  of  the  remainder 
of  my  life,  to  organize  and  put  in  motion  the  concerns 
of  the  college.  We  have  enjoyed  tolerable  health 
since  we  arrived,  except  a  severe  affection  of  our  stom- 
ach and  bowels,  which  complaint  passes  away  in  a  few 
days.  Perhaps  this  may  be  a  part  of  the  seasoning  we 
are  to  experience  here.  We  find  all  things  high  priced, 
owing  to  the  severe  drought  which  last  year  swept  away 
every  thing,  as  the  frost  did  in  Jersey.  Europe  and 
America  in  the  same  year  experienced  shortness  of 
bread  ;  in  America  the  crops  failing  from  frost  and 
drought,  in  Europe  from  the  rains.     Corn  is  one  dollar 


DR.    FINLEY.  121 

iind  an  half:  last  year  it  was  twenty-five  to  thirty-seven 
cents.  Wheat  is  now  one  dollar,  usually  seventy-five 
cents.  The  p^^ople's  great  concern  is  to  raise  cotton, 
buy  slaves,  &c.  As  yet  there  is  but  little  thought  of 
making  any  improvement,  the  country  being  new,  and 
what  is  worse,  the  population  fleeting  and  constantly 
moving  off  to  the  Alabama  Territory.  The  country 
suffers  greatly  for  want  of  mechanics:  for  though  it  can- 
not be  said  there  are  no  mechanics  in  some  branches, 
yet  they  are  such  that  nothing  is  done  to  the  satisfaction 
of  those  who  have  seen  any  thing  better.  A  tanner  and 
currier  might  make  a  fortune  in  a  little  time  in  any  part 
of  this  country.  A  man  who  could  make  boots  and 
shoes  might  choose  his  own  business  and  on  his  own  terms'. 
A  carpenter  and  joiner,  with  a  common  blessing,  might 
get  rich  as  fast  as  labour  could  enrich  any  one." 

June  24th,  1817,  to  another  friend  he  writes  as  fol- 
lows : — 

"  The  place  in  which  we  live  is  entirely  healthy,  but 
for  a  few  miles  round  the  soil  is  considered  as  rather 
thin ;  though  thin  as  it  is,  it  produces  good  crops  of 
corn,  wheat  and  cotton  for  a  few  years,  and  would  con- 
tinue to  do  so  if  the  people  had  any  idea  of  manuring. 
They  have  none,  but  being  principally  emigrants  from 
Old  Virginia,  they  wear  out  a  piece  of  land  and  leave  it. 
At  present  immense  sums  of  money  are  made  by  raising- 
cotton,  each  slave  yielding  about  two  hundred  dollars, 
exclusive  of  support.  The  comforts  of  life  are  not  at- 
tended to,  nor  any  of  its  elegances,  either  in  buildings 
or  furniture,  either  in  dress  or  table.  Morals  low,  cor- 
rect ideas  few,  manners  coarse,  and  religious  knowledge 
nearly  nothing.  Yet  some  of  the  people  seem  to  be 
sensible  of  all  this,  and  desirous  to  have  it  all  changed. 


128  MEMOIRS   OF 

But  irresolution  arising  from  inexperience,  and  the  indo' 
lence  connected  n-ith  slavery^  will  make  changes  slow,  un- 
less northern  and  eastern  people  come  in  to  show  an  ex- 
ample and  to  take  a  lead.  This  part  of  the  country  suf- 
fers a  very  great  inconvenience  in  having  no  bottom 
meadows;  and  the  soil  being  sandy,  does  not  produce 
grass.  At  the  same  time,  the  people  are  determined  to 
believe  that  no  kind  of  grass  seed  can  be  sown  with  suc- 
cess. 

'*  Tiie  college  is  at  the  last  gasp — forgotten  in  the 
public  mind,  or  thought  of  only  to  despair  of  it — neg- 
lected and  deserted — the  buildings  nearly  in  a  state  of 
ruins — and  the  Trustees  doubtful  whether  it  can  ever 
be  recovered.  This  is  a  picture  not  over  drawn.  You 
can  readily  conceive  how  all  this  has  operated  on  my 
mind.  I  thank  the  Lord  my  spirits  do  not  sink,  nor  is 
my  heart  discouraged.  Yet  possessed  of  tranquillity  and 
Lope,  one  week  at  my  old  residence  would  give  me 
more  pleasure  than  all  I  have  felt  since  I  bade  you  fare- 
well at  Elizabeth-Town  Point.  Some  that  I  left  I  shall 
not  see  till  the  heavens  are  no  more. 

"Instead  of  my  large  congregation  I  now  preach  to 
about  fifty  people.     What  a  change  I     Blessed  be  God, 
we  shall  be  in  the  '  great  congregation'  shortly. 
"  With  sincere  love  and  respect,  yours, 

"ROBERT  FlxNLEY." 

The  following  letter  to  a  respectable  gentleman  at 
Basking  Ridge,  and  intimate  friend  of  Dr.  Finley,  pos- 
sesses considerable  interest,  as  illustrating  farther  the 
early  history  and  the  prevailing  habits  of  the  country  in 
which  the  college  is  situated. 


DR.  FINLEY.  129 

''Athens,  July  1st,  1817. 
«  Dear  Sir, 

"  You  have  probably  learned  from  some  of  the  let- 
ters that  have  been  sent  from  this  place,  something  of 
its  appearance  and  condition.  From  them  you  will 
learn  that  we  were  considerably  disappointed.  One 
cause  of  this  is  the  newness  of  the  country.  It  is  only 
about  twenty  years  since  it  was  the  abode,  or  at  least 
the  haunt  of  Indians.  It  is  impossible  therefore  that 
society  should  be  much  advanced,  or  any  great  im- 
provements made  ;  especially  as  not  only  the  firsts  but 
almost  the  only  settlers  are  from  Virginia,  and  do  not 
bring  with  them  the  spirit  of  improvement,  which  comes 
with  eastern  settlers,  and  even  with  Jerseymen.  Slave- 
ry chills  every  ardour  and  retards  every  improvement, 
and  it  will  continue  to  do  so,  for  a  long  time  to  come. 
The  college  is  in  the  lowest  state  that  is  possible;  the  con- 
tempt of  the  enemies  of  literature,  the  scorn  of  its  own 
particular  enemies,  and  the  pity  of  those  who  were  once 
its  friends.  The  students  are  twenty-eight.  It  is  how- 
ever to  be  observed,  that  there  were  about  forty  when 
Dr.  Brown,  the  former  president,  resigned  his  office. 
Whether  it  can  rise  for  a  long  time,  does  not  appear  to 
me  certain;  that  it  will  shortly  does  not  appear  proba- 
ble :  but  there  is  every  reason  to  hope  that  it  will  event- 
ually. As  there  are  funds  to  pay  the  salaries,  indepen- 
dent of  the  numbers  of  the  students,  there  is  some  ad- 
vantage as  well  as  disadvantage  in  the  number  of  the 
students  being  small  at  first.  It  affords  an  opportunity 
to  introduce  discipline  with  more  ease,  and  more  effi- 
ciently :  it  affords  an  opportunity  for  the  officers  to  es- 
tablish them.selves  in  the  affections  of  the  students  more 
deeply,  and  to  make  the  improvement  of  the  few  more 

17 


130  MEM  OIKS   OF 

sensible  to  the  observer.  Thus  much  being  gained, 
every  pupil  will  aid  in  giving  a  name  and  character  to 
the  institution.  We  have  mentioned  in  former  letters 
that  there  are  but  few  presbyterians  in  and  about  this 
village,  and  no  religious  society  formed  of  that  denomi- 
nation. There  are  a  [e\v  methodist  professors  and  two 
preachers,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  place. 

"  As  yet  I  know  but  little  of  the  country,  having  been 
entirely  employed  in  endeavouring  to  get  fixed,  and 
making  myself  acquainted  with  the  state  of  the  college. 
We  have  no  garden,  nor  is  there  any  market  for  vegeta- 
bles :  but  we  have  not  wanted  as  yet  in  any  day  for  a 
little  of  something  to  eat.  All  are  kind  to  us,  and  divide 
freely.  All  seem  now  to  be  contented,  though  we  have 
not  yet  had  time  to  learn  to  be  pleased. 

"I  look  at  Mrs. snuff-box  sometimes,  but  it  is 

empty  and  I  dare  not  fill  it. 

"  With  great  regard  and  affection. 
Yours, 

R.  FINLEY.'^ 

The  following  very  interesting  communication,  is 
enriched  with  intelligence,  cheerfulness  and  piety.  It 
is  particularly  valuable  on  account  of  the  views  it  pre- 
sents of  Dr.  Finley's  state  of  mind,  in  his  new  and  trying- 
condition,  and  in  full  contemplation  of  the  great  and  ar- 
duous undertaking  on  which  he  was  just  entering. 

'*AthenSy  (Geo,)  July  16th,  1817. 
«  Dear  Sir, 

"  Your  favour  came  to  me  most  acceptably,  and  was 
in  all  respects  very  gratifying.  It  was  the  first  letter  re- 
ceived from  Jersey  except  one  from .     Occupied 


DR.  FINLEir.  131 

with    the  main  subject  before  him,    he    did  not  give 
one  item  of  intelligence.  • 

"It  is  a  great  blessing  to  me  that  in  some  degree  I 
have  endeavoured  to  cherish  a  missionary  spirit,  other- 
v/ise  in  the  outset  my  situation  would  have  been  very 
undesirable.  On  account  of  health,  the  college  was  lo- 
cated quite  on  one  side  of  the  state,  or  population  at 
least,  where  it  was  seldom  seen,  and  where  it  cre- 
ated but  little  interest.  Its  funds,  consisting  of  lands 
put  to  rent,  were  uncertain.  The  most  of  the  lands  are 
now  sold,  realizing  an  hundred  thousand  dollars  ;  only 
sixty  as  yet  in  operation.  My  predecessor  left  forty 
students,  of  which  I  found  twenty-seven  remaining. 
The  public  mind  was  so  dispirited  that  the  trustees  had 
determined  to  abandon  the  institution  for  a  time,  had 
their  application  to  your  friend  been  refused.  After 
being  unwell  through  the  change  of  diet,  water  and  cli- 
mate, for  about  two  weeks,  and  experiencing  conside- 
rable depression,  my  mind  began  to  revive,  to  feel  itself 
on  missionary  ground,  to  view  the  college  as  designed 
in  the  providence  of  God  to  meliorate  the  condition  of 
man  and  direct  his  heart  to  heaven.  These  last  views 
fixed  in  my  mind  a  strong  belief  that  I  was  on  proper 
ground,  where,  if  it  pleased  the  Lord,  with  much  wis- 
dom and  self  denial,  with  much  industry  and  patience, 
some  good,  perhaps  great  good,  may  be  done. 

"  If  my  views  of  the  men  associated  with  me  are  cor- 
rect, the  prospect  is  good  from  them.  With  regard  to 
other  things  there  is  reason  to  hope,  that  so  far  as  an  im- 
pression has  been  made  at  all,  it  has  been  favourable. 
Our  nominal  commencement  will  take  place  this  day 
fortnight.     Nominal,  because  owing  to  the  resignation 


132  MEMOIRS  OF 

of  Dr.  Brown,  there  is  no  senior  class.  But  we  shall 
keep  up  appearances. 

"  A  few  weeks  vacation  will,  I  trust,  afford  me  an  op- 
po  tunity  of  seeing  a  little  of  this  new  country.  No  re  , 
ligious  exercises  have  been  p  r^Jimed  on  the  Sabbath 
day  by  the  students.  Next  Sabbath  for  the  first  there 
will  be  a  recitatimi  on  the  Bible,  I  hope.  The  students 
appear  willing:  1  am  told  ;  though  some  say  they  do  not 
believe  the  Bible,  some  that  they  never  read  a  chapter, 
&c.  In  the  village  too  about  a  dozen  have  expressed 
a  willingness  to  be  formed  into  a  class  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. When  the  vacation  commences,  I  shall  endeav- 
our to  commence  with  the  village  youth.  We  have  no 
church  formed  here,  but  expect,  or  rather  hope  to  have 
one  soon.  W^e  have  no  congregations  worth  a  name: 
yet  there  are  various  places  in  growing  cou]itry  towns, 
where  young  enterprising  clergymen  might,  by  teach- 
ing, support  themselves,  and  at  the  same  time  raise  up 
respectable  congregations  in  a  few  years. 

^*  Brother — let  us  endeavour  to  be  meek.  Let  us 
<  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness.'  My  heart  em- 
braces, while  my  pen  salutes  you  and  yours.  The  love 
of  my  heart  to  the  Presbytery.     Shall  I  ever  see  them 

more  ? 

"Yours, 

"ROBERT  FINLEY. 
a  p.  S.— With  men  of  reflection  the  colonizing  scheme 
is  as  popular  here,  as  with  you  in  Jersey.  Go  on  and 
prosper.  Be  firm  and  resolute.  Life  is  short.  All 
flesh  is  to  come  a  little  lower  in  worldly  matters,  to  rise 
a  little  higher  in  the  service  of  God  and  man.  I  have 
got  my  personal  abasement.     Lord  grant  I  may  not  de- 


J3R.   FlNLEi'.  133 

Dr.  Finley  found  hiiiiself  now  in  a  situation  wiiich  to 
him  was  new  and  untried  in  itself,  very  critical  and  liigh- 
ly  responsible.  He  bad  relinquisiied  a  station  which 
presented  a  pleasing  sphere  of  comfort  and  emolument 
of  honour  and  usefulness  He  was  now  entering  upon  a 
great  experiment,  ihe  result  of  which  was  covered  with 
uncertainty.  He  was  surrounded  with  a  cloud  of  wit- 
nesses. In  the  north  and  in  the  south,  many  eyes  were 
turned  towards  him,  with  high  expectation  and  great  so- 
licitude. The  duties  incumbent  upon  iiim,  and  the  inter- 
ests committed  to  his  management,  were  vastly  exten- 
sive and  important.  One  step  of  rashness  or  of  folly 
might  blast  the  whole  enterprise.  He  awakens  from 
partial  repose,  and  summons  to  action  all  his  powers. 
His  first  object  is  to  understand  the  condition  of  the  col- 
lege, the  charge  of  which  he  has  accepted. 

To  illustrate  the  circumstances  of  this  university,  as 
they  existed,  at  the  time  of  Dr.  Finley's  undertaking  its 
superintendence,  and  to  develop  correctly  the  difficul- 
ties he  had  to  encounter,  it  will  be  necessary  to  give  a 
concise  history  of  the  institution,  from  its  first  establish- 
ment to  that  period. 

The  citizens  of  Georgia,  impressed  Avith  a  sense  of  the 
importance  of  providing  within  their  own  state,  the 
means  of  sound  and  useful  education,  turned  their  atten- 
tion very  early  to  this  interesting  object.  In  the  year 
1784,  the  legislature  of  Georgia,  v/ith  a  highly  commen- 
dable  discretion  and  liberality  appropriated  forty  thou- 
sand acres  of  land  situated  on  the  northwestern  limits  of 
that  state,  for  the  purpose  of  endowing  and  establishing 
a  university.  In  the  succeeding  year,  they  granted  a 
charter  to  the  institution,  and  appointed  a  Board  of 
Trustees  to  superintend  the  college  affairs,  giving  them 


i34  MEMOIRS  OF 

no  authority  to  sell  the  lands  entrusted  to  their  care,  but 
clothing  them  with  discretionary  power  to  use  and  dis- 
pose of  them,  in  any  other  manner y  for  the  best  interests 
of  the  infant  seminary.  The  donation  to  the  university 
was  situated  in  the  heart  of  a  very  extensive  tract  of  un- 
appropriated state  lands,  on  its  northwestern  frontier, 
the  settling  of  which  was  long  prevented  by  the  con- 
stant dread  of  savage  incursions,  to  which  it  was  fre- 
quently and  sometimes  fatally,  subject.  When  the  fear 
of  Indian  barbarity  began  to  subside,  the  population  of 
the  state  to  dilTuse  itself  over  this  unoccupied  region, 
and  emigrants  and  speculators  to  visit  it  from  motives  of 
speculation  and  emolument — the  public  lands,  a  full  and 
permanent  title  to  which  could  be  obtained  at  once, 
presented  a  more  interesting  and  inviting  object,  to  their 
enterprise  and  avarice,  than  the  college  property,  sub, 
ject  to  such  conditions  as  had  been  prescribed  by  the 
trustees  of  the  college,  to  suit  the  necessities  and  pro- 
mote the  interests  of  the  institution.  Consequently  very 
little  of  the  college  demesne,  appeared  likely  to  be  ta- 
ken on  tenancy,  and  the  endowment  remained  long  un- 
productive and  useless.  The  institution  receiving  no 
other  active  donation,  and  the  corporation  relying  on 
the  lands  as  their  only  resource,  fifteen  years  elapsed 
before  any  eflfort  could  be  prudently  made  to  realize 
the  designs  and  benefits  of  the  charter. 

The  friends  of  literature  and  of  public  improvement 
in  general,  perceiving  the  population  of  the  state  to  be 
rapidly  increasing,  and  feeling  deeply  concerned  for 
the  literary  honour  of  Georgia,  began  to  manifest  great 
anxiety  to  see  the  affairs  of  the  university  placed  in  a 
more  promising  and  successful  train.  Accordingly,  in 
the  year  1800,  before  a  sufficient  fund  had  accumulated 


DR.    FINLEr.  I3u 

from  the  rents  of  the  college  property,  in  conformity 
with  the  public  impulse,  the  trustees  resolved  to  com- 
mence erecting  the  necessary  college  buildings.  Their 
pecuniary  resources  being  very  inadequate,  and  the  im- 
patience and  importunity  of  public  sentiment  seem- 
ing to  prohibit  farther  delay,  to  meet  the  exigence  of 
the  case,  and  as  their  only  alternative,  they  applied  to 
the  legislature  of  the  state  for  authority  to  sell  five  thou- 
sand acres  of  the  original  appropriation,  and  to  use  the 
proceeds  in  erecting  the  contemplated  edifice.  In  ad- 
dition to  these  five  thousand  acres  now  cut  off  from  the 
endowment  of  the  college,  the  institution  sustained  the 
loss  of  ten  thousand  acres  more,  of  its  most  valuable 
lands.  The  one  half  was  lost  in  a  controversy  with  in- 
dividuals, and  the  other  part  fell  into  the  state  of  South 
Carolina,  upon  the  adjustment  of  a  territorial  dispute. 
By  these  misfortunes  which  were  unavoidable,  and,  to 
appearance  irreparable,  the  resources  of  the  institution 
were  much  impaired  ;  and  in  the  building  operations 
was  unavoidably  incurred,  a  burdensome  debt,  which 
for  seventeen  years  painfully  embarrassed  all  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  board  of  trustees.  The  exhausted  state 
of  the  college  funds  forced  the  board  afterwards  into  a 
system  of  economy  and  restriction  in  expenditure,  which 
prohibited  their  employing  a  competent  number  of  col- 
lege officers,  prevented  the  purchase  of  a  library  and 
philosophical  apparatus,  and  very  lamentably  depressed 
the  reputation  and  general  aspect  of  the  institution. 

In  these  disadvantageous  and  discouraging  circum- 
stances, did  Dr.  Finley  find  the  seminary  over  which 
he  had  been  selected  to  preside — its  resources  impover- 
ished— its  credit  prostrated — its  friends  disheartened— 
its  principal  officers  retired  from  the  scene  of  action— 


136  MEMOIRS  OP 

the  number  of  siudents  greatly  diminished — the  enemies 
of  the  institution  encouraged  and  exiiliing — the  vital 
pov7er  of  its  government  paralyzed — its  edifices  in  a  state 
of  decay  and  approaching  ruin.  He  was  himself  far 
from  possessing  tlie  strength  of  constitution  and  anima- 
tion of  spirit,  v/hich  had  imparted  life  and  po\\  er  to  his 
former  movements. — The  care  and  fatigue  of  his  voy- 
age and  journey  had  also  produced  a  considerable  im- 
pression. The  country  itself  did  not  present  to  him  an 
interesting  and  pleasing  aspect.  The  place  of  his  fu- 
ture abode  did  not  afford  a  prospect  of  so  much  conve- 
nience and  comfort  to  himself  and  his  family,  as  he  had 
been  accustomed  to  enjoy  and  induced  to  anticipate. 

When  we  consider  all  these  circumstances  in  connex- 
ion, it  will  not  appear  surprising,  that  his  spirits  should 
have  suffered  a  temporary  depression.  Indeed,  had  he 
not  possessed  a  mind  of  extraordinary  firmness  and  reso- 
lution he  must  have  sunk  under  the  weight  of  the  accu- 
mulated obstacles,  and  discouragements  that  presented 
themselves  on  every  side. 

Low,  however,  and  reduced,  as  the  funds  of  the  in- 
stitution were  conceived  to  be,  at  first  view.  Dr.  Finley 
found  in  the  progress  of  his  inquiries,  that  their  nominal 
was  far  beyond  their  real  value.  In  the  year  1815,  the 
legislature  of  the  state  of  Georgia  authorised  a  sale  of 
the  unimproved  lands  of  the  university,  and  directed 
the  proceeds  to  be  vested  in  bank  stock.  To  facilitate 
the  accomplishment  of  this  measure,  and  to  put  it  into  the 
power  of  the  trustees,  to  make  a  more  advantageous  dis- 
posal of  the  college  lands,  by  giving  the  purchasers  a 
reasonable  credit,  the  state  very  liberally  advanced  a 
sum  sufficient  to  enable  the  college  to  purchase  a  thou- 
sand shares  in  a  bank,  expected  to  go  into  operation 


DR.  FINLEY.  137 

soon,  agreeing  to  depend  upon  the  proceeds  of  land 
sales  for  a  reimbursement.  This  arrangement  which 
manifested  liberality  and  public  spirit  in  the  legislature, 
and  which  promises  a  very  flattering  issue,  afforded  a 
benefit,  principally  remote,  and  not  immediate  in  its  in- 
fluence. The  bank  in  which  the  funds  were  vested,  did 
not  commence  business  until  the  summer  of  1816,  and 
then  its  operations  were  founded  upon  only  seventeen 
per  centum  of  its  original  capital,  and,  at  the  expiration 
of  a  year,  it  had  demanded  but  little  more  than  hall  that 
sum.  The  consequence  was,  that  the  university  instead 
of  deriving  an  immediate  and  extensive  advantage  from 
the  change  produced  in  the  state  of  its  finances,  received 
on  account  of  its  stock,  and  from  all  its  other  resources, 
a  sum  merely  sufficient  for  current  expenses.  When 
therefore,  Dr.  Finley  arrived  at  Athens  in  May,  1817, 
he  found  upon  a  thorough  investigation  of  the  affairs  of 
the  institution,  that  its  funds  were  good  only  in  prospect, 
— that  although  the  great  cause  of  the  disease  was  re- 
moved, the  debility  remained. 

Difficulties  and  discouragements,  too  great  to  be  en- 
countered by  men  of  ordinary  minds,  tended  only  to 
touch  the  springs  of  his  intellectual  frame  and  to  bring- 
all  his  extraordinary  powers  into  vigorous  exertion. 
The  truth  of  this  observation  was  strikingly  exemplified 
in  the  case  before  us.  Individuals  of  respectable  tal- 
ents, attainments  and  zeal,  had  yielded  to  the  opposing 
obstructions.  But  Dr.  Finley  found  in  the  circumstan- 
ces of  the  university,  a  suitable  field  for  the  exercise  of 
all  his  abilities  and  virtues, — his  enterprise,  his  firmness, 
his  indefatigable  industry  and  perseverance,  and  his 
pre-eminent  prudence  and  address.  His  character  alto- 
gether was  such,  as  to  make  him  peculiarly  adequate  to 

18 


138  MEMOIRS  OF 

the  task,  of  recovering  the  institution  from  embarrass- 
ment and  dishonour,  and  of  raising  it  to  prosperity  and 
usefulness. 

Deeply  impressed  with  a  sense  of  the  necessity  of  ob- 
taining the  decided  and  zealous  co-operation  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  he  at  first  employed  all  his  infiuence 
with  them,  and  endeavoured  to  inspire  them  with  a  live- 
ly interest  in  the  state  of  the  college,  and  concern  for 
the  success  of  the  contemplated  operations.  With  his 
characteristic  candour  and  earnestness  he  stated  to  the 
Trustees,  his  opinion,  that  to  raise  the  university  to  cred- 
it and  usefulness,  great  alterations  and  improvements 
must  be  made  immediately,  through  their  instrumentality 
— that  a  philosophical  apparatus  and  a  respectable  libra- 
ry must  be  procured  —that  the  institution  must  be  sup- 
plied with  decent  and  comfortable  buildings  for  ac- 
commodating the  college  officers  and  students — in  or- 
der to  this,  that  some  new  edifices  would  be  required, 
and  considerable  repairs  necessary  to  those  already 
erected — ^that  the  officers  of  the  institution  should  be  re- 
called immediately  to  their  posts — and  that  the  whole 
establishment  should  be  brought  with  all  practicable 
speed,  to  exhibit  such  an  appearance  of  order  and  taste, 
dignity  and  comfort,  as  other  literary  institutions  pre- 
sented to  view-,  and  as  would  command  respect,  and  op- 
erate as  motives  and  inducements,  with  the  intelligent, 
wealthy  and  honourable  inhabitants  of  the  southern 
states,  to  place  their  sons  there  for  the  purpose  of  prose- 
cuting and  completing  their  education.  He  declared  to 
them,  his  full  persuasion,  that  the  character  of  the  col- 
lege was  to  be  redeemed,  not  so  much,  by  a  change  of 
officers,  as  by  a  change  of  measures — that  his  counsels 
and  efforts  Avould  avail  but  little  without  their  cordial 
concurrence  and  zealous  assistance. 


DR.  FINLEy.  139 

in  this  interesting  and  important  crisis,  ardent  and  im- 
patient, to  fiicilitate  and  expedite  their  progress,  by 
gaining  some  signal  advantage  in  the  out-set,  he  propos- 
ed and  urged  to  the  Board  their  appealing  directly  to 
the  legislature  of  the  state,  in  a  respectful  and  importu- 
nate supplication  for  relief  and  aid,  relying  on  the  rea- 
sonableness of  their  claim,  the  usefulness  of  their  object, 
and  the  former  munificence  of  that  enlightened  and  lib-^ 
eral  body.  But  this  measure  appeared  to  be  opposed 
by  so  many  difficulties  and  discouragements,  that  on  ma- 
ture deliberation,  it  was  unanimously  agreed  not  to  at- 
tempt its  execution. 

The  anxious  and  determined  mind  of  Dr.  Finley,  then 
suggested,  as  a  last  resort,  the  plan  of  casting  themselves 
directly  upon  the  bounty  of  a  generous  and  charitable 
public,  with  a  view  to  obtain  the  necessary  supplies.  In 
this  measure,  he  was  cordially  reciprocated  by  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  who  promptly  approved  and  adopted 
the  proposed  system.  The  necessary  arrangements 
were  made  immediately  and  agents  were  appointed,  to 
carry  this  plan  into  effect.  But  Dr.  Finley,  unbounded 
in  his  solicitude  for  the  success  of  this  measure,  and  un- 
willing to  commit  the  execution  of  it  to  any  other  per- 
son, voluntarily  offered  his  own  services  in  the  delicate 
and  ungracious  business  of  courting  public  bounty.  Be- 
sides his  earnest  desire  for  the  success  of  this  measure, 
other  important  considerations  induced  him  to  engage 
in  so  unpleasant  and  laborious  a  service.  By  the  char- 
ter of  the  college  it  was  made  the  privilege,  and  duty 
of  the  president  of  the  university  annually,  to  visit  and 
inspect  the /'M^/i*c  schools  and  academies  in  the  state  of 
Georgia,  with  a  view  to  their  general  amelioration  and 
-uccess  in  the  system  of  instruction  and  discipline  pursu- 


140  MEMOIRS    OF 

ed.  As  soon  as  this  provision  in  the  charter^  came  to 
his  knowledge,  he  expressed  himself  in  terms  warmly- 
approving  of  it,  resolved  to  embrace  the  first  opportuni- 
ty that  presented  itself,  to  enter  upon  this  important  du- 
ty of  his  office.  Dr.  Finley  was  also  very  desirous  of 
becoming  acquainted  by  personal  observation,  w  itb  the 
state  of  Georgia,  not  only  in  relation  to  the  face  of  the 
country  and  its  general  improvements,  but  in  regard  to 
the  character,  condition  and  genius  of  the  people — all 
with  a  view  to  enable  him  better  to  understand  the  dis- 
positions and  habits  of  the  youth,  and  more  successfully 
to  superintend  their  education.  From  this  tour,  he  an- 
ticipated much  profit  and  pleasure  in  relation  to  all  these 
objects  ;  but  his  principal  desire  was  to  obtain  pecunia- 
ry contributions  for  the  aid  of  the  university.  The  pe- 
riod allotted,  for  the  performance  of  this  soliciting  ser- 
vice, was  that  of  the  approaching  vacation  in  the  col- 
lege. 

The  time  that  elapsed  before  the  close  of  the  session, 
Dr.  Finley  spent  in  diligent  attendance  upon  the  va- 
rious duties  of  his  new  and  important  station.  His  at- 
tention was  occupied  principally  with  the  daily  instruc- 
tion of  the  students,  and  with  endeavours  to  give  form 
and  success  to  the  internal  regulations  and  movements 
of  the  college.  He  embraced  the  earliest  opportunity 
to  introduce  into  college  the  study  of  the  Bible  on  the 
Lord's  day.  This  he  considered  an  important  and  in- 
dispensable object  of  attention  in  schools  and  seminaries 
of  learning,  through  all  the  successive  stages  of  improve- 
ment. 

While  diligently  occupied  with  the  duties  of  his  office, 
he  was  also  anxiouly  engaged  in  devising  measures  for 

*  See  note  M."--at  the  close  of  the  volume. 


DR.  FINLEY.  141 

the  general  improvement  and  success  of  the  college. 
The  preaching  of  the  gospel,  he  had  determined  never 
to  relinquish  while  life  lasted.  The  character  and  the 
duties  of  a  pastor  were  endeared  to  his  heart  by  a  thou- 
sand tender  and  sacred  ties,  which  he  could  never  dis- 
solve nor  forget.  While  therefore  supremely  devoted 
to  his  professional  duties,  as  president,  he  made  it  an  im- 
portant object  to  be  useful  at  the  same  time,  as  far  as 
possible,  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel.  With  this  view  he 
made  use  of  the  leisure  time  he  enjoyed,  to  organize  a 
regular  presbyterian  congregation  in  the  village  of 
Athens,  and  to  preach  in  the  surrounding  country  wher- 
ever opportunities  offered.  It  was  a  part  of  his  plan,  to 
institute  a  class  among* the  young  people  in  the  village, 
for  studying  the  Bible,  as  soon  as  his  circumstances 
would  enable  him  to  accomplish  it.  During  the  month 
of  June  and  early  in  July,  he  met  several  times  with  the 
Trustees  of  the  college,  and  by  his  prudent,  dignified 
and  pleasing  deportment,  he  acquired  in  a  very  high  de- 
gree the  respect  and  confidence  of  that  honourable 
Board.  His  impressive  discourses  delivered  from  time 
to  time  in  the  village,  before  the  citizens  and  students, 
had  a  very  happy  effect,  and  inspired  universal  venera- 
tion. Indeed  *"  every  thing  seemed  to  bid  fair  for  his 
being  in  the  hand  of  Providence  a  rich  blessing  to  the 
state  of  Georgia." 

The  commencement  in  the  college,  which,  according 
to  a  standing  rule,  took  place  on  the  last  Wednesday  of 
July,  1817,  was  an  interesting  season.  The  following 
account  of  this  transaction,  communicated  by  the  Rev. 
Dr.  John  Brown,  former  president  of  the  college,  is 
both  appropriate  and  pleasing:— 


142  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  The  commencements  in  this  institution  are  held 
on  the  last  Wednesday  of  July.  On  the  preceding 
day  a  commencement  sermon  is  delivered  by  the  presi- 
dent. Dr.  Finley  most  happily  availed  himself  of  this 
occasion  to  state  to  a  very  numerous  and  respectable 
audience,  the  intimate  connexion  between  the  growth 
of  true  science  and  the  success  of  Christianity.  His 
text  was,  Matt.  xxiv.  27 — *  For  as  the  lightning  cometh 
out  of  the  East  and  shineth  even  unto  the  West,  so  shall 
the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  be.'  This  might  be  con- 
sidered as  the  Doctor's  inaugural  discourse.  He  shew- 
ed in  several  respects,  how  the  past  and  present  progress 
of  Christian  knowledge  and  Christian  morals,  was  beau- 
tifully exemplified  in  the  progress  of  that  rapid  and  lu- 
minous element,  the  lightning.  The  subject  was  hap- 
pily chosen,  the  discourse  well  prepared,  and  delivered 
with  great  energy.  To  you,  sir,  who  were  so  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  powers  of  his  mind  and  his  irresistible 
manner,  I  need  say  nothing  respecting  the  effect.  I 
need  not  tell  you  that  every  eye  was  riveted  on  the 
speaker — every  heart  impressed. 

"  The  business  of  the  commencement  day,  he  con- 
ducted with  great  dignity  and  with  the  most  perfect 
ease  to  himself.  Nothing  like  embarrassment  or  per- 
turbation of  mind  appeared  on  any  occasion.  His  hap- 
py art  of  making  the  situation  of  his  pupils  easy  and 
pleasant,  was  also  manifestly  exhibited.  Great  God  ! 
how  deep  and  how  mysterious  are  thy  ways!  How- 
strange  to  us,  that  a  life  so  useful  should  not  have  been 
spared  !  When  he  fell,  what  an  assemblage  of  qualifi- 
cations for  filling  the  presidential  chair  with  credit  to 
himself  and  advantage  to  the  state,  fell  with  him !" 


DR.  FINLEir.  14H 

The  season  of  commencement  having  been  agreeably 
passed  through,  the  business  determined  on  for  the  en- 
suing vacation  took  possession  of  Dr.  Finley's  mind, 
and  nothing  could  attract  his  attention  from  it,  "In 
augenda,  festinat  et  obruitur,  re."  On  the  subject  of 
this  tour  Dr.  Bro\7n  writes  in  the  following  judicious 
and  interesting  manner: — 

"Had  Dr.  Finley  been  more  indulgent  to  himself  and 
less  ardent  in  his  wishes  for  the  prosperity  of  the  institu- 
tion, he  would  have  spent  the  six  weeks  vacation  which 
ensued  after  the  commencement,  in  the  enjoyment  of 
ease  with  his  family  and  little  circle  of  friends  in  Athens 
and  its  vicinity.  But  his  solicitude  that  the  Trustees 
might  be  able  to  meet  engagements  which  he  expected 
would  be  made  by  the  gentleman  who  had  gone  on  for 
the  purchase  of  books,  induced  him  to  volunteer  in  the 
business  of  soliciting  benefactions.  With  this  object  in 
view,  he  visited  the  counties  of  Jackson,  Oglethorpe, 
Wiiks,  Hancock,  Green  and  Morgan.  Some  of  his 
friends  attempted  to  apprise  him  of  the  danger  of  leaving 
so  healthy  a  spot  as  Athens,  and  undertaking  fatigue  and 
exposure  during  the  sickly  season,  and  indeed  while  a 
bilious  epidemic  was  considerably  prevalent  in  some  of 
the  lower  counties ;  but  his  mind  could  not  be  diverted 
from  its  favourite  object.  On  this  tour  he  was  very 
successful  in  acquiring  benefactions  to  the  funds  of  the 
university,  but  imbibed  the  seeds  of  a  disease  that  cut 
short  his  useful  labours,  and  bereaved  the  institution  of 
so  valuable  an  acquisition,  in  the  very  dawn  of  its  pros- 
perity. He  had  been  about  two  months  in  college,  and 
in  about  two  months  more  he  slept  in  the  arms  of  his 
Kedeemer." 


144  MEMOIRS    OF 

One  paragraph  in  a  communication  from  my  honour- 
able correspondent,  Col.  Clayton,  before  referred  to,  so 
fully  confirms  the  above  representation  of  his  excel'ent 
friend,  and  so  happily  describes  the  outlinv-^s  and  inci- 
dents of  this  eventful  tour,  that  I  shall  present  it  in  his 
own  words. 

"  Although  the  necessary  arrangements  were  made 
and  the  agents  appointed  to  give  efficiency  to  this 
scheme,  yet  such  was  the  eager  solicitude  of  Dr.  Fin- 
ley,  at  every  delay  which  interposed  itself  between  his 
plans  and  his  hopes,  that  he  descended  from  the  dignified 
station  of  his  office,  to  volunteer  his  services  in  the  un- 
gracious task  of  courting  public  gratuity,  and  subjecting 
himself  to  all  the  incidents  of  chagrin,  that  are  known 
usually  to  accompany  that  delicate  engagement.  Ac- 
cordingly he  commenced  his  tour  the  latter  part  of  Ju- 
ly, which  is  the  beginning  of  the  sickly  season  in  that 
state,  and  although  in  the  short  compass  which  he  made, 
he  had  the  satisfaction  to  have  his  most  sanguine  expect- 
ations realized,  as  to  the  generous  spirit  of  the  people 
of  Georgia  and  their  attachment  to  their  university,  and 
that  his  own  views  of  their  benevolence  were  not  un- 
founded ;  yet  the  knowledge  of  these  valuable  facts  was 
obtained  by  a  sacrifice  far  above  their  value :  for  in  this 
tour  the  fatal  sickness  was  contracted,  that  bereaved  so- 
ciety of  one  of  its  brightest  ornaments." 

While  performing  this  journey,  a  variety  of  objects, 
all  connected  with  the  great  end  contemplated,  occupi- 
ed Dr.  Finley's  attention.  He  did  not  here,  even  in 
the  midst  of  secular  concerns,  for  a  moment  forget  his 
character  as  an  ambassador  of  the  Prince  of  peace.  On 
this  point  the  following  observations  of  Col.  Clayton, 
will  be  found  appropriate  and  satisfactory :— 


DR.  FINLEY.  145 

"  He  returned  home  on  the  8th  of  September,  after  an 
absence  of  six  weeks  from  his  family,  in  which  time  he 
had  been  arduously  and  unceasingly  engaged  in  solicit- 
ing private  contributions  in  furtherance  of  his  design, 
and,  that  his  useful  labours  might  not  be  confined  to 
one  object,  he  availed  himself  of  every  opportunity  of 
shedding  abroad  the  light  of  those  divine  truths  of  which 
he  had  been  so  long  a  faithful  depository,  and  from 
whom  it  had  so  often  emanated  with  such  divine  effect. 
In  this  short  period,  by  day  and  by  night,  in  a  season 
peculiarly  unfriendly  to  mental  exertion,  he  preached 
sixteen  sermons.  His  constant  bodily  employment,  un- 
der almost  a  vertical  sun,  exposed  to  heat  and  wet,  his 
mind  seriously  and  anxiously  engaged,  with  a  constitu- 
tion and  habits  unaccustomed  to  the  climate,  joined  to 
an  unusual  prevalence  of  disease,  to  have  escaped  indis- 
position would  indeed  have  been  miraculous..  When 
therefore  he  reached  home,  he  felt  the  usual  symptoms 
of  an  attack,  but  flattering  himself  that  the  languor  of 
his  feelings  had  been  produced  by  excessive  fatigue,  he 
unfortunately  relied  too  much  upon  a  state  of  rest  for 
relief,  and  omitted  such  precautionary  applications  as 
might  have  averted  the  impending  blow." 

At  this  period  the  Presbytery  of  Hopewell  which  em- 
braces this  district  of  the  church,  held  its  sessions  at  a 
village  considerably  distant  from  Athens.  Dr.  Finley's 
extreme  anxiety  to  enjoy  an  interview,  form  an  ac- 
quaintance, and  establish  a  regular  connexion  with  that 
ecclesiastical  body,  induced  him  to  set  out  to  attend  its 
meeting  on  the  fourth  day  after  his  arrival  at  home  from 
the  former  tour.  In  relation  to  this  subject,  Dr.  Brown 
writes  in  the  following  manner: — 

19 


146  MEMOIRS    OF 

"  It  was  on  the  close  of  this  tour  that  he  met   with 
his  brethren  in  the  ministry,  the  members  of  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Hopewell,  in  sessions  at  Madison,  in  Morgan 
county.     He  became  a  member  of  that  reverend  body 
on  the  5th  day  of  September.     Ve  was  received  with 
great  cordiality  by  his  clerical  friends,  and  they  would 
have  been  very  happy  in  administering  to  his  comfort 
and  support  in  his  important  ofTice  as  president  of  the 
university.  Few  of  his  friends  have  more  sensibly  felt,  or 
mure  sincerely  lamented  his  early  removal,  than  the 
members  of  the  Presbytery  of  Hopewell.     It  is  the  usu- 
al  practice   with  this  presbytery  to  have  preaching  on 
ev(;ry  day  during  their  sessions,  and  to  close  with  the 
administr?ction  of  the  holy  sacramental  supper,  on  the 
Sabbath  day.     A  great  number  of  people  attended  this 
meeting.     It  was  a  very  solemn  occasion,  and  Dr.  Fin- 
ley  appeared  to  enjoy  it  exceedingly.  He  preached  sev- 
era)   times  during  the  meeting,  and  attempted  to  preach 
on  the  Sabbath  morning,  but  was  not  able  to  do  it.     In 
the  evening  he  was  better,  and  after  night  preached  a 
very  solemn  and  intei^esting  discourse,  from  these  w^ords 
of  our  Saviour,  It  is  finished.     On  Monday  evening  he 
got  home  to  his  family  in  Athens:    complained  of  ex- 
treme languor  and  lowness  of  spirits:  on  Wednesday  he 
attended  the  funeral  of  a  person  in  whom  he  felt  consid- 
erable interest,  and  a  very  deep  expression  was  obser- 
ved in  his  countenance  while  a  neighbouring  clergyman 
was    making   some    appropriate    observations    at    the 
grave." 

Col.  Clayton  most  justly  observes  that  "  Dr.  Finley, 
too  anxious  to  fill  up  the  measure  of  his  usefulness, 
would  not  surfer  the  only  remedy  he  had  chosen  to  mit- 
igate the  force  of  his  symptoms,  to  have  its  full  effect:'* 


DR.  FIJfLEY.  14T 

for  before  repose  has  had  an  opportunity  to  produce  the 
desired  relief  from  lassitude  of  body  avid  depiessi(;n  of 
mind,  he  engages  in  some  new  service,  he  exposes  him- 
self to  some  new  hardship.  In  conformity  Avith  which, 
Dr.  Brown,  after  describing  his  indisposition  while  at- 
tending the  Presbytery,  and  his  exhausted  condition  af- 
ter his  return  home,  proceeds  to  say  : 

"  On  Friday,  though  still  unwell,  he  set  out  to  attend 
a  sacramental  meeting  at  the  distance  of  about  twenty 
miles.  This  meeting  had  been  deferred  for  some  time 
with  the  expectation  of  enjoying  the  company  and  as- 
sistance of  Dr.  Finley.  Here  again  his  exertions  were 
beyond  his  strength.  On  Saturday  he  preached  a  most 
excellent  sermon  from  Heb.  xii.  22,  23,  24 — *  But  ye  are 
come  unto  Mount  Sion,  and  unto  the  city  of  the  living 
God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  and  to  an  innumerable 
company  of  angels  ;  to  the  general  assembly  and  church 
of  the  first-born  w  hich  are  written  in  heaven,  and  to 
God  the  judge  of  all,  and  to  the  spirits  of  just  men  made 
perfect,  and  to  Jesus  the  mediator  of  the  new^  covenant, 
and  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling,  that  speaketh  better 
things  thafi  that  of  Abel.'  I  know  not  whether  to  call 
this  his  own  funeral  sermon.  The  view  which  he  took 
of  the  light  in  which  the  gospel  represents  the  things  of 
the  eternal  world,  and  the  familiar  acquaintance  which 
he  appeared  to  have  with  them,  seemed  scarcely  con- 
sistent with  a  longer  continuance  in  this.  lie  saw  with 
solemn  delight  in  the  countenances  of  his  hearers  the 
effect  which  preaching  produced,  and  was  encouraged 
to  attempt  it  again  on  the  Sabbath  :  but  although  the  in- 
troductory exercises  were  performed  by  another,  he 
was  scarcely  able  to  go  throuah  with  a  short  dis  ourse, 
until  he  had  to  retire  for  rest.     On  Monday  he  came 


148  MEMOIRS  OF 

home.  On  Tuesday  he  lingered  about  the  house,  and 
on  Wednesday  he  was  taken  down  on  the  bed  from  which 
he  never  arose.  I  was  abroad  during  his  illness,  and 
returned  just  in  time  to  attend  one  of  the  most  solemn 
funerals  I  ever  witnessed/' 

The  circumstances  of  Dr.  Finley's  sickness  and  death 
so  far  communicated  to  the  writer,  will  be  presented  to 
the  reader,  principally  in  the  same  words  in  which  they 
were  received.  The  peculiar  character  of  his  disease 
which  partook  of  bilious  and  typhus  symptoms  rendered 
conversation  extremely  difficult  and  painful  to  him.  In 
the  commencement  of  his  sickness  he  considered  his  re- 
covery doubtful.  Soon  after  he  was  taken,  a  friend  was 
called  upon  to  assist  Dr.  Finley  in  settling  his  affairs, 
and  in  making  a  disposition,  by  will,  of  the  property 
which  he  had  acquired  by  his  great  industry  and  econo- 
my. As  is  usual  on  such  occasions,  his  friend  asked  him 
If  any  particular  direction  should  be  given  respecting 
the  manner  of  his  burial.  With  a  smile  on  his  counte- 
nance, his  hand  on  his  breast,  and  his  ej^es  turned  to- 
wards heaven — "  Oh  no" — he  replied,  **  1  care  not  how 
they  put  me  away;  I  know  I  shall  get  up  safe." 

At  the  close  of  a  day,  early  in  his  sickness,  he  observ- 
ed to  a  friend,  that  "notwithstanding  it  had  been  a  pain- 
ful day,  it  had  been  to  him  a  very  interesting  one,  as  his 
views  of  the  plan  of  salvation  had  been  soul-refreshing; 
there  was  nothing  of  ecstacy  in  them,  but  solid  peace 
and  comfort."  At  another  time  he  observed  to  a  friend 
who  inquired  respecting  his  state,  "that  he  had  spent  a 
delightful  day  :  his  views  of  the  plan  of  salvation  were 
so  clear,  that  if  it  w  ere  not  for  his  wife  and  family,  he 
had  no  desire  to  get  well." 


DR.  FINLBY.  149 

A  communication  received  during  Dr.  Finley's  ill- 
ness, from  the  Secretary  of  the  Colonization  Society  es- 
tablished at  Washini:;ton,  giving  information  of  its 
brightening-  prospects,  greatly  refreshed  his  languid  spir- 
it, and  forced  from  him  expressions  and  matufestations 
of  peculiar  satisfaction.  It  is  much  to  be  regiettod  that 
Dr.  Finley's  observations  in  this  trying  hour,  on  the 
subject  of  colonizing  the  people  oftolour,  which,  next 
to  the  plan  of  salvation  for  sinners,  had  occupied  his 
mind  for  years,  more  than  any  other  subject,  could  not 
be  distinctly  heard  and  recollected. 

Col.  Clayton,  who  attended  the  Doctor's  dying  bed, 
writes  in  the  following  interesting  manner  : — 

"  In  all  his  conversations  during  his  illness,  he  never 
lost  an  opportunity  to  impress  upon  his  friends  and  fam- 
ily some  sacred  truth,  and  would  often  make  his  illness 
contribute  to  that  holy  purpose.  "  Oh !  my  friend,"  he 
would  say,  '*  all  flesh  is  grass;"  and  then,  with  a  calm- 
ness and  tranquillity  known  only  to  the  bosom  of  the 
truly  pious,  would  he  enforce  the  necessity  of  an  ever 
present  recollection  of  that  solemn  fact.  The  last  Sab^ 
bath  before  his  death,  as  if  unwilling  to  leave  the  world 
without  making  a  last  effort  to  lead  a  valued  friend  into 
the  paths  of  peace,  and  at  the  same  time  to  give  the  most 
convincing  proof  of  his  own  resignation,  he  earnestly 
requested  that  friend  to  read  to  his  congregation  the  af- 
fecting sermon  of  Doctor  Blair,  on  the  subject  o{  dcath^ 
from  this  text — *  Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley 
of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil,  for  thou  art 
with  me  :  thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me.'  " 

Another  correspondent  WTites  in  the  following  words : 

"On  the  tenth  day,  his  disorder  took  a  favourable 
turn,  and  we  all  thought  him  convalescent.     After  this, 


150  MEMOIRS  OF 

I  believe,  he  never  realized  his  danger,  until  the  daj 
previous  to  his  decease.  Indeed  a  general  infatuation 
prevailed  with  respect  to  his  death,  we  felt  his  life  so 
important  to  the  cause  of  religion,  literature  and  his 
family — but  He  who  raises  up  the  means,  knows  the 
proper  time  to  lay  aside.  A  letharg^y  from  which  it 
was  not  possible  to  rouse  him  for  more  than  a  few  min- 
utes at  a  time,  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  communi- 
cate his  views  and  feelings  to  his  friends  or  family.  A 
(ew  hours  before  his  death,  beginning  to  realize  his  end 
to  be  approaching,  I  inquired  of  him  if  his  mind  was 
comfortable,  and  if  his  views  were  clear.  He  answered 
with  much  sweetness  and  composure,  *that  it  was  as 
much  so  as  his  extreme  sickness  and  faintness  would  ad- 
mit.' We  awakened  him  several  times  through  the 
night.  A  few  words  only  he  was  able  to  say,  before  he 
would  fall  asleep.  About  one  o'clock  I  went  to  him 
and  inquired  how  he  felt.  He  said  he  was  much  revi- 
ved, and  perhaps  might  yet  be  able  to  recover ;  ex- 
pressed a  desire,  if  it  was  the  Lord's  will,  that  he  might 
3^et  live  for  the  sake  of  his  wife  and  dear  children.  This 
was  but  the  last  effort  of  expiring  nature.  In  an  hour 
after  he  awoke,  almost  suffocated — called  for  air — 
said  he  was  going.  His  lips  moved  for  some  few  se- 
conds, as  we  supposed  in  prayer.  He  then  sunk  into  a 
state  of  total  insensibility,  in  which  he  lay  nearly  two 
hours,  and  then  with  a  gentle  sigh  breathed  out  his  soul 
into  the  bosom  of  his  Saviour.  The  last  hour  of  his  life 
was  most  interesting  indeed.  The  joy  of  his  soul  illu- 
mined his  countenance,  and  rendered  it  the  most  inter- 
esting object  I  bad  ever  beheld.  The  very  place  ap- 
peared to  be  sanctified  b}^  the  presence  of  the  Saviour 
and  the  spirits  of  the  dear  departed  saints  who  had  been 


DR.    FINLEY.  151 

given  to  him  as  seals  of  his  ministry,  appeared  to  be 
waiting-  to  be  the  crowns  of  his  rejoicing." 

The  rejections  of  a  correspondent  may  here  with 
propriety  be  introduced  : — 

"  H  hat  consolation  have  not  the  friends  of  Dr.  Finley 
experienced  from  his  passage  through  this  trying  test! 
WiUi  what  firmness  did  he  sustain  his  sickness!  How 
sensible  of  his  end,  and  how  resigned  to  the  stroke  !  So 
comfortable,  as  he  expressed  himself,  were  his  views  of 
a  future  state,  that,  save  the  ties  of  his  family,  he  had  not 
a  wish  to  remain  connected  with  the  cares  of  life." 

Dr.  Finley  once  very  piously  and  solemnly  observed 
in  conversation  with  a  pious  friend,  that  ^' it  sometimes 
pleased  God  to  enter  into  a  very  sore  dealing  with  fami- 
lies and  even  wi<:h  those  of  his  own  people."^  The  dis- 
pensation of  G(  d  in  his  providence  towards  the  author 
of  that  observation  and  his  family,  in  the  event  we  are 
here  contemplating,  furnishes  an  additional  and  mourn- 
ful illustration  of  the  truth  and  importance  of  that  re- 
mark. 

The  removal  of  Dr.  Finley  to  Georgia  and  his  sudden 
death  present  an  instance  of  darkness  and  mystery,  in 
the  government  of  God,  awful  and  impenetrable  to  the 
view  of  mortals.  When  we  consider  the  importance  and 
usefulness  of  the  station  he  occupied  at  Basking  Ridge — 
the  numerous,  enterprising  and  beneficent  plans,  in 
which  he  was  engaged — the  multiplied  difficulties  which 
were  encountered  in  his  translation  to  the  south — the 


*  This  conversation  took  place  at  the  house  of  Col.  John  Neilson,  New  Bruns- 
wick, several  years  ago,  aisd  was  intendpd  for  the  comfort  of  that  excelleut  man 
and  his  amiable  and  pious  consort,  who  were  t!»en  in  deep  affliction,  and  mourn- 
ing for  the  sudden  death  of  a  beloved  son,  a*  Batavia  in  the  East  Indies  j  infor- 
mation of  which  event  had  recently  been  received. 


152  MEMOIRS  OF 

many  peculiar  and  prominent  qualiiicatioDs  Dr.  Finle}/ 
p(;ssessed  for  the  office  to  which  he  was  called — the  fa- 
vourable impression  and  the  successful  beginning,  he 
had  made  in  his  new  sphere  of  duty — the  pressing  de- 
mands of  the  interests  of  science  and  religion,  in  Geor- 
gia, for  the  services  of  such  a  man — the  pleasing  pros- 
pect of  eventual  success  that  presented  itself — when  we 
consider  these  things  and  take  into  vit  w,  the  size  and 
circumstances  of  his  family,  the  number  and  tender  age 
of  his  children,  our  emotions  can  find  utterance  most 
suitably  in  the  humble  and  adoring  language  of  the  Apos- 
tle, Romans  ii.  33 — "  O,  the  depth  of  the  riches  both  of 
the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God  ! — how  unsearchable 
are  his  judgments  and  his  ways  past  finding  out!  For 
who  hath  known  the  mind  of  the  Lord  ?  or  who  hath 
been  his  counsellor ! — Of  him  and  through  him  and  to 
him,  are  all  things  :  to  whom  be  glory  forever,  Amen." 
The  public  mind  in  Georgia  was  deeply  impressed,* 
and  agitated  by  the  information  of  Dr.  Finley's  death. 

*  In  illustration  of  this  fact,  the  following  extract  is  introduced  from  a  letter 
written  by  the  Rev  Mr.  Shepard,  Tiissiouary  iu  Giuigia,  to  the  Editor  of  the 
Boston  Recorder,— published  in  the  "  Religious  Remembrancer"  Philadelphia, 
JVovember29,  1817. 

"  Washinzton.  {Geo)  October  14,  1817. 

"  About  two  weeks  after,  we  were  again  clothed  in  sackclotli  at  the  melancholy 
'tidings  of  the  death  of  Dr.  Finley,  President  of  the  University  of  fieorgia.  No 
death  was  ever  more  deeply  felt,  or  more  generally  lamented,  in  this  region, 
than  this.  To  this  state  the  loss  seems  irreparable.  The  succes<!  which  amend- 
ed the  few  months  of  his  presidency,  gave  us  the  nirjst  auimaiinr  hope  that  Pcovi- 
dence  had  designed  him  as  an  instrument  for  advancing  the  literary  and  r<-lHious 
state  of  Georgia.  His  plans  of  operation  were  laid  with  much  skill  and  pxe<  ti  ed 
with  a  zeal  highly  becoming  a  man  in  so  important  a  station,  it  was  in  a  tour 
through  the  lower  counties,  for  the  purpose  of  soliciting  donations,  to  procure  a 
library  for  the  college,  that  he  took  the  seeds  of  the  disease  whiclj  terminated 
his  valuable  life  A  daik  cloud  now  hangs  over  the  affairs  of  the  seminary  :  but 
we  know  it  will  soon  be  succeeded  by  a  clearer  sky,  W  e  know  that  He  whose  '  king- 


DR.    FINLEV.  153 

Expressions  of  disappointment  and  grief,  at  this  event, 
fell  from  every  mouth.  The  painful  impulse  was  expe- 
rienced from  A  thens  to  New-York,  but  it  was  most  poign- 
antly felt  in  his  native  state. 

Dr.  Finley's  death  was  announced  to  the  public  in 
Georgia,  in  the  following  handsome  and  honourable 
obituary  notice. 

"  Died  on  Friday  Morning,  the  3d  inst.  the  Rev.  Rob- 
ert Finley,  D.  D.  President  of  the  University  of  Geor- 
gia, after  a  painful  illness  of  eighteen  days.  His  sick- 
ness which  was  of  the  most  violent  bilious  character,  he 
unfortunately  contracted,  during  a  tour  through  several 
of  the  lower  counties,  on  professional  business,  in  Au- 
gust ;  he  returned  home  with  the  fatal  indisposition 
which  has  imposed  so  distressing  a  wound  upon  all  the 
relations  of  society. 

"Whether  we  consider  the  death  of  this  truly  pious 
man,  in  a  private  or  public  view,  the  causes  of  regret 
multiply  upon  us,  with  such  successive  and  increasing 
rigour  as  to  overwhelm  the  mind  with  the  most  bitter 
feelings  of  anguish.     He  has  left  an  amiable  wife  and 

dom  ruleth  over  all,'  will  perfect  his  own  work,  in  bis  own  time  and  In  his  own 
manner. 

"The  rising  slate  of  literature  in  this  country,  no  doubt  will  induce  the  Board 
to  renew  their  exertions  for  the  prosperity  of  their  rising  seminary,  in  selecting 
another  man  without  delay,  to  fill  the  important  station  now  left  vacnnt," 

In  a  fiiendly  letter  received  from  the  south,  bearing  date  April  2d,  1818,  I 
find  the  following  passage,  which  will  probably  gratify  curiosity  and  impart  pleas- 
ure to  readers  concerned  for  the  welfare  of  this  bereaved  institution,  viz  : — 

"  The  Trustees  of  Franklin  College  have  lately  given  a  call  to  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Beman,  a  native  of  Vermont,  who  has  been  some  years  a  resident  of  Georgia,  and 
has  had  a  large  and  very  respectable  school  establishm.ent  at  Mount  Zion.  Mr. 
Beman  is  said  to  possess  great  energy,  fine  talents,  and  handsome  address,  joined 
to  warm  piety.  The  public  are  much  pleased  with  the  appointment,  ft  is  both 
hoijed  and  expected  he  will  accept  it." 

20 


154  MEMOIRS    OF 

nine  children  to  mourn  iiis  afflictive  loss.  This  family 
have  recently  been  brought  from  the  bosom  of  their 
friends  and  relations,  and  by  the  melancholy  dissoiuticai 
of  its  head,  are  now  cast  upon  a  land  of  strangers.  Con- 
nected vv^ith  the  fortunes  of  the  lamented  deceased,  they 
have  forsaken  some  of  the  dearest  ties,  which  can  arise 
from  a  love  of  country,  the  early  scenes  of  nativity,  or 
the  liveliest  sympathies  of  feeling.  United  with  him, 
whose  whole  energy  of  soul,  was  bent  to  the  accomplish- 
ment of  an  ail-important  service  to  this  state,  they,  by 
tlie  separation  occasioned  by  this  awful  dispensation, 
are  now  left  friendless  and  unprotected  upon  the  grati- 
tude of  that  state. 

*^  In  the  institution,  which  he  had  so  lately  been  called 
to  preside  over,  he  commenced  the  duties  of  his  office, 
with  such  a  prompt  and  ardent  zeal,  so  unwearied  in  his 
exertions  and  so  constant  in  his  devoted  care  of  all  its 
concerns,  as  afforded  the  most  certain  promise  of  suc- 
cess and  the  no  less  gratifying  assurance,  that  under  his 
administration  it  was  about  to  raise  its  languishing  head. 
To  the  deep  regret  of  this  country,  he  has  left  the  insti- 
tution once  more  to  the  dubious  issue  of  wayward  con- 
tingencies. 

"  In  contemplating  the  private  course  of  Dr.  Finley,  the 
mind  has  a  field  to  rest  upon,  lovely  in  prospect,  unbro- 
ken in  surface,  and  endless  in  variety.  If  the  most  fer- 
vent and  durable  piety,  can  give  dignity  and  respect 
to  character  ;  if  equanimity  of  temper,  steady  firmness  of 
principle,  and  the  most  unbending  rectitude  of  conduct, 
can  secure  to  pure  and  worthy  motives,  their  merited  es- 
teem : — if  the  most  inflexible  benevolence  of  heart,  con- 
stantly directed  to  the  advancement  of  charitable  insti- 
tutions, the  relief  of  misfortune,  the  diffusion  of  happi- 


DR.  JINLEl'.  155 

ness,  and  the  increase  of  pious  contentment,  has  not  lost 
its  influence  upon  humcin  actions,  the  life  and  death  of 
this  good  man  must  oifer  an  example  full  of  peace  and 
consolation  to  his  family,  comfort  and  resignation  to  his 
friends,  and  the  most  lasting  usefulness  to  society. 

"  The  church  has  sustained  a  loss  of  one  of  its  firmest 
pillars  :  in  all  the  pursuits  of  his  life,  those  ceased  to  be 
objects  of  interest,  when  they  ceased  to  subserve  the 
purposes  of  religion.  To  a  mind  warmed  and  animated 
by  those  hopes,  which  devotion  contemplates  shall  sur- 
vive the  stroke  of  death,  he  joined  the  soundest  dictates 
of  sober  reflection,  the  cool  and  unshaken  possession  of 
judgment  and  the  open  and  reconciling  stamp  of  sinceri- 
ty. From  the  pulpit  he  was  accustomed  to  utter,  gra- 
ced with  the  beauty  and  armed  w^ith  the  energy  of  the 
most  impressive  eloquence,  those  eternal  truths,  which 
while  they  stand  on  "  the  Rock  of  ages,"  were  winged 
with  irresistible  effect,  when  delivered  with  his  masterly 
and  affecting  management,  and  never  failed  to  dignify 
the  heart,  elevate  the  affections,  and  heighten  those 
dread  expectations  which  rest  in  such  mysterious  won- 
der beyond  the  limits  of  time." 

To  exhibit  the  sentiments  that  prevailed  in  Georgia  on 
this  occasion,  the  following  document,  with  which  the 
writer  has  been  obligingly  furnished,  is  presented  to  the 
public. 

'^  Millcdgeville,  Senate  Chamber,  November  12,  181 T. 

"On  motion  of  Mr.  Elliot — Resolved  unanimously,  by 
the  Senatus  Academicus,^-  that  the  lamented  death  of  the 

*  The  body  distinguished  by  this  name,  is  coinpospd  of  a  highly  respectable 
sommittee,  appointed  annually,  by  tiie  legislature  of  Gcorg;Ia,  for  the  pii'-pose  of 
exercising  a  general  superintendence  over  all  the  literary  iaslitutions  in  that 
state. 


156  MEMOIRS  OF 

late  President  Finley,  having  deprived  Franklin  College 
of  an  useful  and  highly  important  ofhcer,  the  community 
of  a  conspicuous  member,  and  his  afflicted  family  of  its 
only  guide  and  support — The  Senatus  Academicus  en- 
tertains a  just  sense  of  the  exalted  worth  of  the  deceased, 
and  most  unfeignedly  mingle  their  regrets  with  those  of 
the  bereaved  family  for  their  common  loss.  And  as  a 
testimony  of  respect  for  the  memory  of  Doctor  Finley, 
they  do  strongly  recommend  to  the  Board  of  Trustees 
to  continue  the  salary  of  that  officer  to  the  end  of  the 
quarter  in  which  he  died,  and  to  offer  to  his  family  the 
use  of  the  President's  house  and  its  appendages  until  the 
same  shall  be  required  for  the  accommodation  of  his 
successor 

''  And  it  is  further  unanimously  resolved,  that  the  eld- 
est son  of  the  late  Dr.  Finley  be  educated,  at  Franklin 
College,  free  of  any  expense,  so  far  as  relates  to  any 
charges  for  tuition  and  that  a  copy  of  these  resolutions 
be  handed  by  the  Secretary  to  Mrs.  Finley." 

The  following  extract  from  the  minutes  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  in  Franklin  college  will  be  read  with  pleas- 
ure. 

*'  Athens,  Franklin  College,  December  12,  1817. 

"  On  motion  of  Mr.  Clayton — Resolved  unanimously, 
by  the  Board  of  Trustees  that  they  feel  with  full  force, 
the  testimony  of  respect  offered  by  the  Senatus  Academi- 
cus, to  the  memory  of  the  late  president  of  the  universi- 
ty, and  do  most  cheerfully  acquiesce  in  the  measures  re- 
commended by  that  body,  as  demonstrative  of  their 
veneration  for  the  lamented  deceased  and  their  regard 
for  his  respectable  family  :  And  in  addition  to  those 
measures,  this  Board  further  unanimously  resolved,  that 


DR.  FINLEi'.  16f 

the  education  in  manner  recommended  to  be  bestowed 
on  the  eldest  son  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Finley  be  extended  to 
all  his  sons,  and  that  the  sum  of  two  hundred  dollars  be 
appropriated  for  tht:  purpose  of  erecting  over  his  grave 
a  suitable  tomb-stone,  commemorative  of  his  worth  and 
services ;  and  that  the  Secretary  of  the  Board  hand  a 
copy  of  this  resolution  to  Mrs.  Finley. 

^*  Resolved,  that  the  prudential  committee  be  author- 
ized to  sell,  in  such  manner  as  they  may  think  proper, 
any  lots  in  the  town  of  Athens,  already  laid  off,  or  which 
may  be  laid  off  hereafter,  in  pursuance  of  a  former  res- 
olution of  this  Board,  passed  the  31st  of  July  last,  first  re- 
serving to  Mrs.  Finley,  widow  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr. 
Finley,  any  two  lots  which  she  may  choose  out  of  said 
range,  one  being  a  front,  and  the  other  a  back  lot ;  and 
that  the  President  pro  tempore  be  authorized  to  make 
her  a  title  to  the  same. 

*^  True  extract  from  the  minutes. 

"JOHN  HODGE,  Secretary:' 

The  following  letter  exhibits  the  subject  of  these  me- 
moirs in  a  very  interesting  point  of  view.  No  charac- 
ter could  be  more  properly  applied  to  him  than  that 
which  he  here  sustains — the  prompt  and  afTectionatc 
comforter  of  the  afflicted.  As  this  judicious,  pious  and 
tender  communication  appears  likely  to  be  highly  grat- 
ifying and  extensively  useful,  it  is  inserted  with  great 
pleasure,  and  with  many  thanks  to  the  excellent  lady 
who  first  experienced  its  consoling  power,  and  now, 
through  this  channel,  bestows  it  on  the  public  for  their 
instruction  and  comfort  In  sorrow^ : — 


158  MEMOIRS   OF 

''Basking  Ridge,  April  14,  1815. 
"  JMadaui, 

"Mrs.  Y D spent  a  few  minutes  with  ug 

yesterday,  after  our  worship  on  the  day  of  national 
thanksgiving,  and  gave  us  the  afflicting  information  of 
the  numerous  and  heavy  trials  with  which  it  has  pleased 
the  Lord  to  try  you.  Your  afflictions  yet  continue,  and 
you  perhaps  begin  to  think  they  will  never  terminate. 
The  ways  of  God  are  full  of  wonder,  and  he  often  makes 
the  cloud  his  chariot,  and  the  thick  cloud  his  pavilion. 
Plis  providence,  which  for  a  season  appeared  clear  and 
bright,  is  at  other  times  surrounded  with  an  impenetra- 
ble gloom.  But  let  us  not  despair.  He  remains  the 
same,  a  God  of  sovereign  mercy ,  and  we  through  the 
cloud  may  believe  his  grace,  secure  of  his  compassion. 
God  is  love,  nor  can  he  cease  to  be  so.  Your  afflictions 
appear  to  me  to  be  more  than  commonly  great,  but  yet 
not  so  great  as  the  Almighty  hand,  which  is  able  to  sus- 
tain you.  One  dear  babe  is  withdrawn  from  your  bo- 
som, and  has  taken  off  a  little  portion  of  your  heart. 
But  it  is  well  ivith  the  child,^     Dedicated  to  the  Lord, 


*  To  illustrate  the  vievrs  of  Dr.  Flnley  in  regard  to  the  very  interestiDg  sub- 
ject here  involved,— to  exhibit  the  basis  on  which  he  founds  the  sentiment  here 
advanced  it  u  wcllrvith  the  child —^nd  to  place  this  precious  article  of  Christian 
faith  in  a  light  at  once  clear  and  consoling  to  the  afflicted,  the  following  extract 
from  his  sermon  en  the  benefits  of  lapiis7n,  &.c.  is  introduced  : — See  2d  general 
head  of  discourse— 4th  particular,  page  20thorthis  sermon 

"The  last  blf'ssing  now  to  l)e  mentioned,  connected  with  baptism,  is,  that  it 
conveys  the  promises  of  God.  'whose  are  the  promises.'  Among  these  stand 
most  conspicuous  the  promises:  that  those  who,  being  baptised,  die  in  infancy, 
should  be  saved  :  and  that  the  possession  of  the  seal  should  impart  to  the  possessor 
the  power  of  conveying  both  the  seal  and  its  benefits  to  the  rising  generation. 
God  commanded  the  seal  of  his  promise  to  be  put  on  the  bodies  of  infant  children, 
and  at  the  earliest  possible  period  :  saying,  '  I  will  be  a  God  'o  "by  seed.'  To 
f-.onvey  and  secure  this  promise  to  Abraham,  God  ordered  the  seal  of  his  cove 


DR.  FINLKY.  159 

and  presented  to  hina,  a  living  sacrifice,  faith  may  follow 
it  to  heaven,  and  contemplate  it  among  the  happy  spir- 
its. She  will  not  come  to  you,  and  wliy  should  you 
wish  her  back  to  this  place  of  sorrow  and  sighing  and 
pain?  The  Lord  has  need  of  her  in  another  state,  and 
if  the  Lord  requires  who  would  refuse  ?  1  have  often 
thought  that  the  counsels  of  God  may  require  something 
of  the  same  variety,  which  we  observe  in  this  state,  for 
our  after  condition  :  and  that  therefore  it  is  requisite 
that  some  babes,  some  tender  and  some  full  grown 
youth,  some  in  the  vigour  of  life  and  some  white  with 
age,  should  enter  into  heaven. 

"  Your  other  dear  child  will,  I  trust,  be  spared  to  you, 
to  be  a  comfort  to  you  while  you  have  need  of  earthly 

nant  to  be  put  upon  the  bodies  of  the  infant  seed  of  the  father  of  the  faithful. 
*  He  gave  Abraham  the  covenant  of  circumcision,  and  so  Abraliam  begat  Isaac 
and  circumcised  him  on  the  eiglith  day.'  Acts  vii.  3.  What  are  we  to  suppose  is 
mean"  by  the  promise,  '  I  will  be  a  God  to  thy  seed.'  Are  we  to  think  that  it 
meant  nothing  more,  than  that  in  general,  God  would  take  care  of  Abraham's 
children,  as  he  had  already  watched  over  and  blessed  him?  Or  are  we  to  be- 
lieve that  this  promise  was  of  such  a  nature  that  it  conveyed  some  valuable  bless- 
ing to  every  individual  who  became  a  subject  of  it !  It  appears  to  be  the  fair  con- 
strucMon,  that  when  God  promised,  snying,  I  will  be  a  God  to  thy  seed,  he  did 
engage  himself  to  every  individual  who  should  receive  the  seal  of  the  promise. 
And  is  there  any  way  in  which  he  can  manifest  himself  to  be  the  God  of  those,  who 
by  the  counsels  of  his  infinite  wisdom,  are  allotted  to  die  in  infancy,  but  by  taking 
them  to  himself  in  glory  ?  To  take  them  from  their  cradle  to  his  heavenly  life, 
is  all  that  he  can  do  for  them,  as  their  God.  I  mean  not  here  to  decide  unfavoura- 
bly on  the  case  of  those  who  die  in  infancy  without  being  baptised.  But  1  do 
mean  te  exalt  the  grace  of  God,  and  the  efficacy  of  his  sealed  promise  :  And  that 
this  is  the  meaning,  at  least  in  part,  of  the  promise,  '  I  will  be  a  God  to  thy  seed,' 
is  much  confirmed  by  the  consideration,  that  as  God  suffered  the  seed  of  man  to 
perish,  by  his  despising  tlie  threatening  of  God,  so  he  hath,  in  restoring  the  ruins 
of  that  fall,  secured  the  salvation  of  the  dying  infant,  by  connecting  it  with  the 
promise  made  to  the  parent.  "  These  are  the  little  babes,  says  Dr  Watts,  who 
just  enter  into  the  world  to  die  out  of  it,  and  who  are  saved  from  everlasting 
death,  merely  by  the  spreading  veil  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  drawn  over  there  by 
the  hand  of  a  parent's  faith." 


160  MEMOIRS  OF 

comforts:  or,  should  her  sickness  also  be  unto  death, 
consider,  that  the  Lord  knoweth  the  best  time,  and  she 
Aviil  be  taken  from  the  evil  to  come,  and  that  you  shall 
soon  go  unto  her.  Simeon  is  not  and  Joseph  is  not :  all 
these  things  are  against  me,  said  the  aged  patriarch.  But 
it  was  not  so.  It  appeared  only  for  evil,  but  the  Lord 
meant  it  only  for  good,  and  so  it  appeared  plainly  at  the 
last.  Perhaps  the  sorest  of  all  your  afflictions  is  the  ab- 
sence of  your  husband^  in  his  feeble  and  declining- 
state  of  health.  Great  indeed  must  be  the  grief  which 
a  heart  of  sensibility  would  feel  in  a  situation  like  to 
yours.  Your  awakened  imagination  represents  to  you 
his  situation  in  all  its  aggravations.  But  perhaps  he 
has  strength  and  consolation  given  to  hmi,  which  make 
these  light  afflictions,  which  are  for  a  moment,  aid  him 
in  realizing  the  exceeding  weight  of  glory,  which  is  also 
eternal,  and  is  wrought  out  for  the  saints  by  the  distresses 
of  this  life.  Perhaps  while  the  outward  man  decays, 
the  inner  man  is  renewed  day  by  day.  In  a  land  of 
strangers,  he  enjoys  the  presence  of  his  Father  and  his 
Elder  Brother.  A  wanderer,  he  is  making  the  greater 
and  more  speedy  preparation  to  enter  the  city  which  God 
prepares  for  his  saints.  And  should  he,  without  ever 
reaching  you,  breathe  out  his  spirit  into  the  hands  of 
Christ,  his  mortal  part  will  be  deposited  in  the  grave  se- 
lected for  him  by  his  heavenly  Father.  What  place  of 
ending  his  labours  could  be  so  desirable  !  But  what  if  ex- 
cess of  grief  and  the  power  of  disease,  should  remove  the 
parents  and  the  little  babes!  Is  it  any  thing  else,  but  the 
removal  of  the  whole  family,  to  the  house  not  made 
with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens,  whose  builder  and 

*  Then  on  a  journey  to  Georgia  for  the  benefit  of  his  heaUl». 


DR.  FINLEY.  161 

maker  is  God  ?  Whatever  may  be  the  allotment  of  the 
Lord,  all  things  will  terminate  in  the  glory  of  God,  and 
your  own  best  good.  When  a  Christian  once  complain- 
ed to  his  fellow,  of  the  numerous  sorrows  of  which  he 
was  partaker,  he  was  answered,  '  Never  mind  it,  dear 
brother,  you  shall  be  the  happier  for  it  to  all  eternity.' 
The  consolations  of  the  Lord  are  not  few,  nor  is  his  ear 
heavy,  nor  is  his  arm  shortened.  He  is  witness  to  your 
distress,  who  told  his  disciples,  they  should  have  tribu- 
lation in  this  world,  but  exhorted  them  to  be  of  good 
cheer,  for  that  he  had  overcome  the  world.  He  will 
either  support  and  comfort  you,  or,  coming  forth  from 
the  place  where  he  dwells,  in  the  boundless  ocean 
of  his  infinite  love,  he  will  take  you  up  to  himself.    My 

dear  friend  Mrs.  V D ,  desired  me  to  write  this 

letter,  which  1  close  with  a  sincere  prayer  that  it  may 
administer  a  little  comfort. 

'*  In  the  common  Saviour, 
«  Yours, 

«  ROBERT  FINLEY." 

Additional  letters,  received  from  a  gentleman  of  distin- 
guished respectability,  with  whom  Dr.  Fin  ley  kept 
up  a  very  free  and  friendly  correspondence  for  many 
years. 

"  Basking  Ridge,  June  12,  1810. 
'*  Dear  Sir, 

"  I  have  copied  over  the  letter  which  you  was 
pleased  to  return  to  me,  that  I  would  make  some  small 
alterations  in  it  to  fit  it  for  the  magazine.  \  found  con- 
siderable difficulty  in  making  the  thing  as  perfect  as  it 
is.  The  subject  matter  was  gone  from  m^e,  and  I  found 
in  the  copy  put  into  my  hands  manv  words,  and  these 

21 


162  MEMOIRS    OF 

all  leadiiii^  ones,  left  out.  I  felt  rather  reluctant  to  do 
any  thing-  with  it.  But  how  could  I  resist  the  wish  of 
a  man  who  has  done  me  many  kindnesses,  and  of  a  lady 
whom  I  much  esteem  in  the  Lord?  I  do  not  know 
that  it  will  be  of  sufficient  value  for  the  magazine,  but 
I  will  submit  it  to  your  pleasure.  Sometimes  the  exer- 
cises of  dying  men,  when  represented  in  a  lively  man- 
ner, produce  a  deep  effect  on  others.  There  is  some- 
thing very  striking  to  us  in  the  feelings  of  persons  who 
are  isi  the  very  situation  in  which  we  must  be  by  and  by. 
I  wp.s  informed  two  weeks  ago  of  a /?;or/<i/;//,  fashionable, 
sensible  lady  of  my  acquaintance,  who  sprnt  two  days 
and  nights  to  observe  the  emotions  of  a  pious,  godly 
neighbour.  I  know  nothing  of  the  effect  produced. 
But  the  man  went  full  of  triumph.  On  a  very  great 
change  taking  place  in  him,  he  asked  his  friends  if  it  was 
death.  They  answered  that  he  was  dying.  Upon  this 
he  said,  "  Glory  be  to  the  Lord,  the  hour  of  deliverance 
is  come." 

"  A   letter  attends  this  for  Mrs.  M and  Mrs. 

L .     I  meant  to  write  to  the  latter  on  the  subject 

of  female  societies  for  prayer. 
"Yours, 

"ROBERT  FINLEY." 

''Basking  Ridge,  July  20,  1810. 
«  Dear  Sir, 

"I  received  your  favours  of  June  28  and  July  10, 
the  day  before  yesterday,  by  one  and  the  same  mail.  I 
know  not  by  what  means  the  one  of  June  has  been  de- 
layed. It  bears  the  post  mark,  Newark,  July  12th. 
Having  received  your  answer,  I  shall  consider  master 
B as  one  of  my  supplies  next  fall,  and  shall  expect 


DR.    FINLEY.  163 

him  to  quarter  with  A ,  who  is  in  good  health,  and 

doing  as  usual, 

"  As  you  have  made  no  mention  in  either  of  your  let- 
ters of  receiving   *^  the  old  letter  new  vamped/   or  my 

letter  to  ]\lrs.  M ,   I  have  been  apprehensive  those 

letters  may  have  miscarried.     Both  I  and  ]\Irs.  Finley 

are  grieved  to  hear  of  Mrs.  M 's  want  of  health,  but 

hope  our  compassionate  Lord  and  almighty  Physician, 
will  soon  heal  her.  It  gives  us  pleasure  that  she  is 
*  slowly  recovering.'  When  her  frame,  strengthened  by 
the  everlasting  arm,  shall  have  shaken  off  disease,  she 
will  soon  be  perfectly  recovered.  What  a  thick  veil  a 
little  disease  draws  over  the  scenery  of  this  world! 
Blessed  be  the  Lord,  there  is  a  land,  the  inhabitant  where- 
of doth  never  say  I  am  sick.  There  may  our  weary  souls 
refresh  themselves  in  the  bosom  of  our  Creator.  The 
diseases  of  my  soul  are  my  wH:>rst  diseases,  especially 
spiritual  sloth,  arising  from  the  w^ant  of  that  faith  which 
is  *  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for.'  This  is  much 
increased  by  the  spiritual  death  in  which  a  large 
part  of  my  people  are  sunk.  Yet  I  know  of  a  small 
number  who  are  considerably  alarmed  at  their  situation. 
But  they  are  not  taking  by  violence  the  kingdom  of  hea- 
ven. They  are  not  striving  and  pressing  into  it.  Their 
convictions  remain,  but  they  are  ready  to  die.  O,  that 
the  Lord  would  be  pleased  to  strengthen  them.  When 
I  urge  them  in  personal  address,  they  weep  and  trem- 
ble ;  when  I  visit  them  again,  I  find  them  nearly  as  be- 
fore. I  suspect  they  very  much  resemble  the  state  of 
our  friend  Mr. .  He  is  not  easy  ;  but  his  impres- 
sions do  not  urge  him  on.  He  waits  for  the  moving  of 
the  w^aters  ;  but  does  not  consider  that  the  angel  of  the 
covenant  has  moved  them  once  for  all,  and  that  they  are 


164  MEMOIRS    OF 

always  healing.  He  sees  that  something  is  wrong,  bul 
does  not  feel  that  all  is  lost.  He  thinks  that  religion 
may  be  necessary,  but  he  means  to  have  it  by  and  by, 
and  not  now.  If  he  had  as  much  of  the  grace  of  God  as 
his  heart  could  contain,  he  might  be  an  excellent  man 
indeed.  If  I  find  an  opening  and  any  liberty,  I  shall 
probably  write  him  on  this  subject.  Perhaps  the  best 
way  is  to  make  an  opening,  and  trust  to  the  Lord  for 
liberty.  Be  pleased,  sir,  to  accept  my  thanks  for  your 
kindness  relative  to  the  money  transaction,  and  believe 
me  to  be,  with  very  great  regard, 
"  Yours, 

^'ROBERT  FINLEY. 
"  N.  B. — I  found  one  of  my  people,  the  other  day, 
emancipated  from  the  terrors  of  hell  and  slavery  of  Sa- 
tan, and  rejoicing  with  most  exceeding  joy." 

^^  Basking  Ridge y  August  9,  1811. 
"  Dear  Sir, 

«  I  think  our  common  friend,  Mr.  W ,  informed 

me  by  letter,  that  you,  or  some  friend  of  yours,  wished 
to  have  the  filling  of  the  first  vacancy  that  might  occur 
in  the  school.  I  now  foresee  that  in  the  beginning  of 
November  there  will  be  a  place  for  four,  three  being 
about  to  go  to  colleges.  And  three  fine  scholars  and 
orderly  young  men  they  are.  You  will  be  pleased  to  sig- 
nify,  at  your  leisure,  what  may  be  your  wishes  on  this 

subject.     Last  spring,  a  Mr.  V ,  an  officer,  I  think, 

in  one  of  the  banks,  spoke  to  me  on  the  subject  of  a  son 

of  his.     Mr.  W stated  to  me  that  he  was  a  man  of 

excellent  and  pious  character.  I  believe  I  signified  to 
him  that  he  should  have  early  notice  of  any  vacancy 
that  might  happen,  that  if  his  son  was  not  placed  accord 


DB.  FINLEY.  165 

ing  to  his  wish,  he  mii^ht  have  an  opportunity  to 
send  him  to  our  academy.  Since  I  s  w  you  last, 
I  save  been  v  ry  busy,  as  indc-ed  I  generally  am.  I 
have  '  er'n  catechising  the  youth  and  children  of  my 
congregation,  and  having  fou>id  a  small  number  who 
appeared  to  be  seriously  exercised  with  the  great  truths 
of  religion,  I  have  been  visiting  a  good  deal.  I  per- 
ceive something  more  than  ordinary,  on  divers  of  my 
people's  hearts.  Here  and  there  a  mercy  drop  fallen 
down.  But  alas,  the  fierce  sun  of  temptation  threatens 
to  dry  up  all  again,  like  as  the  few  scattering  drops  from 
a  cloud  are  dried  up  by  the  scorching  sun.  There  is  an. 
operation  on  their  hearts,  but  it  does  not  appear  as  yet 
that  soul  travail  which  usually  precedes  the  new  birth. 
I  have  endeavoured  to  fan  the  flame ;  but  my  own  heart, 
like  theirs,  is  only  half  awake  and  half  alive.  Yet  I 
trust  that  God  will  ^Ive  me  some  {q\v  at  this  time,  who 
shall  reign  with  Him  forever.  I  met  one  old  man  the 
other  day,  who  I  do  think  is  made  alive  to  God  by  the 
Spirit  of  Jesus  Christ ;  and  one  woman  in  the  caves  of 
the  rocks,  who  begins  to  see  men  as  trees  walking.  Pray 
for  us,  dear  sir,  that  the  gospel  may  be  glorified  among 
us.  The  day  before  yesterday,  I  went  in  company 
with  another  clergyman  to  a  neighbouring  church, 
where  there  is  something  of  a  special  display  of  the 
mercy  of  God.  It  was  in  a  distant  corner  among  the 
hills,  nine  or  ten  miles  from  my  residence.  I  think  it 
was  a  solemn  season  to  most,  and  a  precious  season  to 
many.  The  house  not  being  capable  of  containing  the 
great  multitude  of  rich  and  poor,  but  especially  the  last, 
we  seated  ourselves  on  seats  on  the  house  green,  under 
some  aged  willows  and  locusts.  There  were  full  five 
hundred  persons,  who  behaved  as  discreetly  as  ever  you 


166  MEMOIRS  OF 

saw  the  same  number  do  in  a  country  church,  for  a  lit- 
tle more  than  three  hours,  while  the  worship  lasted.  One 
lady  said,  who  had  never  seen  an  assembly  for  worship 
out  of  doors,  when  she  drew  near  and  saw  such  a  seene, 
that  it  appeared  at  first  a  fairy  scene.  But  when  she  got 
near  enough  to  hear  the  minister,  the  scene  appeared  to 
be  laid  in  the  first  heavens.  So  you  perceive  that  it  has 
wrought  on  some  imaginations.  May  the  Lord  send  his 
Spirit  to  all  hearts.  The  leaven  of  God  continues  to 
work,  and  the  mass  must  be  leavened.  Amen.  Have 
you  come  into  j^our  new  church  yet '  I  hope  to  have 
my  little  babe  baptized  next  Monday.     By  the  grace  of 

God  we  are  all  well.     A and  master  B -remain 

as  before,  good  boys  and  good  scholars.     Mrs  Finley 

sends  her  Christian  love  to  Mrs.  M and  family,  not 

forgetting  your  daughter,  Mrs. .     I  unite  with 

her,  and  to  you,  sir,  I  tender  the  assurance  of  my  great 
respect.  Yours, 

"ROBERT  FINLEY." 

''Basking  Ridge,  December  19,  1814. 
*^  Dear  Friend, 

*•■  For  some  considerable  time  back  I  have  felt  a 
desire  that  the  agreeable  con  t^spondence  we  formerly  car- 
ried on,  should  be  renewed  and  especially  since  I  was 
informed  that  you  had  experienced  some  adverse  dis- 
pensations of  Providence.  The  disappointments  of  sev- 
eral of  my  best  and  dearest  friends,  occasioned  to  me  a 
great  many  reflections  on  the  vanity  and  uncertainty  of 
all  worldly  views  and  calculations  ;  and  the  little  that  I 
had  fondly  called  my  own  appeared  ready  to  take  wings 
and  Piy  away.  Indeed  I  have  not  been  able  to  escape 
entirely  the  devastation  of  this  day  of  disaster  and  of 


DR.    FINLEY.  16? 

judgment;  but  have  suffered  a  considerable  diminution 
of  that  moderate  abundance  which  some  time  ago  I  en- 
joyed. However  I  desire  to  be  submissive  and  to  see 
the  hand  of  the  Lord  in  all  that  concerns  me.  Your 
case  and  situation  have  been  often  present  with  me,  and 
I  have  longed  to  know  what  door  would  be  opened  for 
you.  In  some  former  states  of  society  and  of  commerce, 
it  would  have  been  but  the  misfortune  of  a  day,  and  to 
morrow  would  have  seen  you  rising  into  business  and 
affluence.  But  this  I  know  ;  The  Lord  know^eth  how 
to  deliver  the  righteous  out  of  trouble,  and  he  can  open 
a  thousand  channels  when  he  will,  to  pour  down  com- 
forts upon  his  people.  May  I  not  hope  that  already 
something  is  presented  to  your  view  suited  to  your  con- 
venience and  wishes.  It  is  a  day  of  sad  rebuke ;  and 
judgment  begins  at  the  house  of  God,  But  though  it 
begins  at  them,  and  they  appear  for  a  moment  to  be  the 
mark  for  the  arrows  of  the  Almighty  ;  yet  it  shall  pass 
away  from  them  ;  and  when  he  has  afflicted  them  a  little 
he  will  give  them  deliverance  and  put  a  song  of  deliv- 
erance into  their  mouths.  How  far  the  Lord  means  to 
proceed  in  his  present  course  I  do  not  know^,  nor  can 
any  one  form  any  conception  ;  but  from  the  dark  clouds 
which  hang  over  us,  it  would  seem  that  the  fury  of  the 
storm  is  not  passed  away.  There  is  yet  no  reformation 
of  heart  and  life  ;  no  amendment  of  our  ways,  no  return- 
ing unto  the  Lord.  Alas,  in  my  own  charge  the  most 
sad  declension  of  the  life  of  God  is  experienced.  Where 
have  fled  all  those  pleasing  expectations  on  which  our 
hearts  rested  with  so  much  delight  ?  Were  they  only 
the  pleasing  reveries  of  a  gilded  imagination?  No! 
they  were  the  smiles  of  our  gracious  Father  previous  to 
the  day  of  chastisement  w^hich  was  to  come  upon  all  the 


168  MEMOIRS    OF 

earth.  "VVe  through  the  cloud  believe  his  grace,  secure 
of  his  compassion  still.  Though  the  clouds  should  re- 
turn after  the  rain,  yet  at  last  the  storra  will  disperse, 
and  the  sunshine  of  the  divine  favour  will  rest  upon  his 
people,  and  on  the  world.  Are  we  not  however  to  look 
for  some  heavier  judgments  on  our  land !  It  appears  to 
me  we  are  to  experience  more  :  but  his  people  who 
have  felt  the  first  of  the  affliction  shall  be  delivered  and 
set  free  at  the  last.  Oh  !  could  1  feel  a  spirit  of  prayer ; 
could  I  see  the  hearts  of  God's  people  mourning  and 
contrite  ;  it  would  refresh  me  and  make  me  believe  the 
vengeance  was  going  by.  But  as  blindness  happened 
in  part  to  Israel,  so  blindness  has  not  only  come  upon 
the  nation^  but  even  on  the  people  of  the  Lord,  so  that 
as  yet  we  see  but  imperfectly  the  dealings  of  the  Lord. 
Party,  passion,  strife,  infatuate  us,  and  prepare  us  for  far- 
ther judgments — But  why  should  we  spend  all  our  time 
in  mourning  and  complaints  ?  Hath  the  Lord  forgotten 
to  be  gracious  1  Hath  he  in  anger  shut  up  his  tender 
mercies  1  Will  he  be  favourable  no  more  ?  Zion  saith 
indeed,  *  The  Lord  hath  forsaken  me  and  my  Lord 
hath  forgotten  me.'  But  it  is  nut  so.  Zion  spoke  the 
language  of  a  weak  disconsolate  woman.  She  spoke 
too  the  language  of  her  fainting  sons.  But  the  walls  of 
Zion  are  ever  before  the  Lord  ;  and  on  the  palms  of  hi? 
hands,  are  graven  all  the  names  of  her  sons — In  a  few 
minutes  I  expect  to  set  out  to  visit  a  {ew  sick,  and  to 
preach  to  a  disciple  hindered  from  the  sanctuary  by 
long  disease.  The  subject  L  Corinthians  iii.  22.  23. 
For  all  thing  are  yours,  whether  life  or  death,  &c.  May 
the  Lord  increase  my  faith  and  yours  in  these  words. 
They  suit  every  case  and  answer  every  purpose.  For 
some  months  Mrs.  Fin  ley  has  desired  to  visit  New-York, 


DR.  FINLET.  169 

and  among  her  friends,  to  see  Mrs.  M --.     She  is  yet 

hindered  by  many  cares,  but  hopes  to  come  after  a  little. 
The  academy  is  sufficiently  supplied.  Let  the  bush 
that  burned  and  was  not  consumed  be  in  your  remem- 
brance. And  may  the  Lord  who  appeared  in  the  bush 
bless  you.     This  is  the  sincere  prayer  of, 

**  Dear  Sir,  yonr  sincere  and  affectionate  friend, 
*'  ROBERT  FINLEY." 

Dr.  Finley  had  no  ambition  to  excel  as  a  fine  writer^ 
or  to  acquire  fame  as  an  author.  His  great  excellence 
consisted  in  prudent  and  useful  action.  The  sermons 
which  he  published  and  which  are  his  only  publications, 
were  modestly  and  reluctantly  yielded  through  the  im- 
portunity of  friends,  rather  than  ostentatiously  offered 
by  himself  to  the  world. 

The  first,  of  his  sermons  bestowed  upon  the  publicj 
was  a  funeral  discourse,  "on  the  victory  of  Christ  over 
death,"  delivered  at  the  interment  of  the  Rev.  William 
Boyd,  in  the  congregation  of  Lamington  on  the  17th 
day  of  May,  1807,  from  the  following  words  : — 1.  Co- 
rinthians XV.  54.  "  So  when  this  corruptible  shall  have 
put  on  incorruption  and  this  mortal  shall  have  put  on 
immortality,  then  shall  be  brought  to  pass  the  saying 
that  is  written,  death  is  swallowed  up  in  victory." 

Notwithstanding  the  evidences  of  haste  in  preparation, 
which  it  exhibits,  this  is  an  edifying  and  solemn  dis- 
course on  a  most  interesting  subject.  The  concluding 
paragraph  presents  a  striking  summary  of  Mr.  Boyd's 
numerous  and  prominent  excellencies  of  character — 
and  also  a  just  specimen  of  Dr.  Finley's  taste  in  compo- 
sition at  this  early  period  : — 


170  MEMOIRS  OK 

"  Affection  and  esteem  induce  me  to  speak  a  little  of 
the  character  of  this  man  of  God.  In  doing  this  I  shall 
less  comply  with  what  is  customary  on  such  occasions, 
than  do  that  which  is  pleasant  to  myself.  His  Creator 
endowed  him  with  an  intellect,  strong  and  vigorous — 
with  a  mind  clear  and  distinguishing.  This,  combined 
with  a  retentive  memory  and  much  early  reading,  had 
furnished  him  as  a  fit  companion  for  the  man,  the  gentle- 
man and  the  scholar.  He  had  wit  without  severity, 
sprightliness  without  levity,  and  knowledge  without 
ostentation.  Equally  ready  for  easy  conversation  or 
profound  investigation,  no  man  ever  found  himself  un- 
easy in  his  society.  Never  in  his  usual  intercourse,  ei- 
ther inviting  or  avoiding  contested  subjects — (gw  men 
could  boast  that  they  had  foiled  him  in  solid  argument. 
The  great  use  which  he  made  of  his  retentive  memory 
was  to  lay  up  the  rich  treasures  of  Sacred  Scriptures. 
Of  these  he  had  gathered  perhaps  as  large  a  store,  as 
any  of  his  time.  And  the  happy  use  which  he  made  of 
his  discerning  mind  was,  to  be  sound  in  the  faith.  The 
doctrines  of  the  reformation  were  his  great  delight. 
They  were  the  theme  of  his  discourse,  the  objects  of 
his  faith  and  the  comfort  of  his  soul.  He  preached  them 
while  he  lived  :  he  rejoiced  in  them  in  his  dying  hours. 
He  was  far  less  concerned  to  find  out  new  things,  than 
to  make  a  wise  improvement  of  truths  already  known. 
He  walked  in  much  humility  and  was  a  lively  example 
of  the  meekness  and  gentleness  of  Christ.  I.  came  not 
here,  however,  so  much  to  praise  my  friend,  as  to  bury 
him  ;  not  so  much  to  bring  his  virtues  to  the  light,  as  to 
assist  in  committing  his  body  to  the  tomb.  His  burial, 
without  pomp,  is  splendid,  all  good  men  attending  him. 
His  name  is  venerable  without  the  praises  of  funeral  ad- 


DR.  FINLEY.  iTl 

dress,  all  good  men  lamenting  his  departure.  But  1 
cease  to  speak  more  of  him.  His  praise  hath  long  since 
been  in  all  the  Churches,  and  his  name  is  now  embalm- 
ed in  every  Christian  heart. ""^ 

[See  this  discourse  printed  in  New-Brunswick  by  "  A. 
Blauvelt— 180r."] 

Soon  after  this,  Dr.  Finley  was  induced  to  present  to 
the  public  his  very  respectable  "Sermon  on  the  Bap- 
tism of  John,  shewing  it  to  be  a  peculiar  dispensation 
and  no  example  for  Christians'* — from  the  folio  wing- 
text — Acts  xix.— 5^ — "  When  they  heard  this  they  were 
baptised  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus." 

The  subject  of  baptism  in  general,  and,  especially, 
the  question  respecting  the  proper  mode  and  subjects  of 
it,  was  at  this  period  much  agitated  and  discussed,  in 
the  pulpit  and  in  the  private  circle.  Dr.  Finley's  ser- 
mon was  considered  very  seasonable  and  very  useful. 
Its  general  object,  which  is  faithfully  and  successfully 
pursued,  is  indicated  in  the  title  above  inserted.  The 
discourse  displays  clearness  of  discrimination,  strength 
of  argumentation,  considerable  critical  skill  and  literary 
research.  As  it  was  expected  to  be  considered  in  some 
measure  controversial,  in  its  nature,  it  was  written  with 
much  more  care  and  accuracy  than  the  former  discourse. 
This  sermon  raised  Dr.  Finley's  reputation,  as  a  man  of 
sound  intellect  and  promising  usefulness.  [See  this  dis- 
course— printed  by  "  Shepard  Kollock— Elizabeth- 
Town— 1807."] 

This  sermon  was  followed,  in  the  next  year,  by  Dr. 
Finley's  distinguished  and  popular,  "Discourse  on  the 

*  For  a  more  extensive  view  of  this  excellent  man  of  God,  see  note  N. 


ir2  MEMOIKB    Ob- 

nature  and  design,  the  benefits  and  proper  subjecis  ol 
baptism,  troni  Acts  ii.  39.  "  For  the  promise  is  unto 
you  and  to  your  children  and  to  all  that  are  afar  off, 
even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call." 

This  sermon  in  itself,  possesses  great  originality  and 
merit;  and  it  was  published  under  circumstances  calcu- 
lated to  give  it  an  increased  estimation  with  the  public  : 
— in  connexion  with  Dr.  Smith's  truly  finished  and  elo- 
quent sermon  on  the  sa,me  general  subject  and  with  the 
full  approbation  of  that  eminent  author.  They  were 
both  published  by  "  B.  B.  Hopkins  &  Co."  of  Philadel- 
phia. Dr.  Smith,  in  his  preface,  refers  to  Dr.  Finley's 
sermon  in  the  following  words — "  I  can  with  pleasure 
refer  to  a  discourse  of  the  Rev.  Robert  Finley  on  the 
same  subject,  for  a  more  ample  elucidation  of  several 
points,  from  the  analogy  which  subsists  between  the 
Mosaic  and  the  Christian  dispensations." 

This  sermon  of  Dr.  Finley  is  extremely  valuable  and 
interesting,  and  ought  to  be  possessed  and  studied  by  eve- 
ry parent.  The  matter  comprised  under  its  second  head, 
is  principally  new,  and  calculated  strikingly  to  repre- 
sent the  importance  of  this  evangelic  ordinance. 

These  discourses  together,  probably  present  as  able 
and  interesting  a  view  of  the  subjects  treated  and  senti- 
ments maintained  in  them,  as  can  be  found  within  the 
same  limits,  in  our  language. 

In  connexion  with  the  preceding  subject,  to  show  Dr. 
Finley's  views  of  the  important  practical  question,  so 
much  discussed  recently  in  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
relating  to  the  exercise  of  ecclesiastical  discipline  over 
baptised  persons,  the  following  extract,  from  the  session 


DR.     FINLEY.  lT'*i 

records  of  the  congregation  of  Basking  Ridge,  is  intro- 
duced : — 

*^  December  31,  1807. — The  session  entered  into  a  free 
conversation  on  the  question — are  all  baptised  persons 
proper  subjects  of  the  discipline  of  the  church,  and  if  so, 
how  far  will  it  be  proper,  at  this  time  to  attempt  the  dis- 
ciplining of  baptised  persons,  who  are  not  members  in 
full  communion  ? — It  was  agreed  unanimously,  that  bap- 
tised persons,  from  their  relation  to  the  church,  not  on- 
ly ma?/,  but  ought  to  experience  the  care  and  attention 
of  the  church — Whereupon  : 

1.  Resolved,  that  the  session  of  this  church  will  in  fu- 
ture extend  their  care  to  all  persons,  who  by  baptism  are 
subjected,  to  its  government. 

2.  Resolved,  that  a  register  be  kept,  of  all  families 
belonging  to  this  congregation,  for  the  inspection  of  the 
session  at  their  meetings. 

3.  That  there  be  four  regular  meetings  of  the  session, 
in  each  year,  for  the  purpose  signified  in  the  first  resolu- 
tion, on  the  following  days — 

4.  Resolved,  that  the  discipline  to  be  administered  to 
those  not  in  full  communion,  shall  never  extend  to  call- 
ing them  before  the  session,  but  only  to  counsel  and  ad- 
monition, and  finally  to  a  formal  notice,  that  a  continu- 
ance in  sin  will  expose  them,  to  be  recorded  as  exclu- 
ded from  the  privileges  of  the  church,  which  might  be- 
long to  them." 

Mr.  Finley  was  requested  to  explain  and  enforce  this 
subject,  in  his  public  discourses,  at  a  proper  time. 

Two  additional  sermons,  which  were  published  in  the 
"  New-Jersey  Preacher,"  in  July,  1813,  complete  the 
list  of  Dr.  Finley's  publications — The  one  from  Mat- 
thew V,  14.  entitled  '^  The  disciples  of  Christ  the  light  of 


174  MEMOinS    OF 

the  world  :'' — the  other  from  Philippians  iii.  9.—"  The 
benefits  resulting  from  being  found  in  Christ." 

In  these  discourses,  Dr.  Finley  appears  to  have  aimed, 
principally,  to  be  useful.  They  are  such  as  his  talents 
and  piety  would  naturally  and  easily  produce,  and  they 
are  such  as  the  editors  of  the  K.'iv-Jersejj  Preacher  so- 
licited from  him — full  of  evangelic  truth  and  vital  god- 
liness. Their  style  is  more  graceful  and  agreeable  than 
that  of  his  former  productions. 

Dr.  Finley  manifested  great  indifference  with  regard 
to  the  dress  of  his  ideas.  In  this  respect,  he  resembled 
many  of  the  learned  and  excellent  Scottish  preachers 
and  philosophers  to  whom  he  bore  so  near  an  alliance. 
His  Creator  had  not  endowed  him  richly  with  those  deli- 
cate sensibilities  and  nice  perceptions  of  taste,  necessary 
to  eminence  in  elegant  composition:  and  he  voluntari- 
ly permitted  his  capacity  for  this  kind  of  excellence,  to 
remain  in  a  great  degree,  uncultivated.  His  grammat- 
ical and  rhetorical  improvements  were  ample.  But 
while  he  successfully  communicated  his  knowledge  to 
others,  he  seemed,  from  choice,  to  make  no  effort  to  em- 
ploy it  to  his  own  advantage  in  writing.  Perspicuity, 
strength,  and  effect,  were  the  great  things  at  which  he 
aimed.  Ornament  he  did  not  employ.  A  correct  skill 
for  the  graceful  collocation  of  words  in  a  sentence  and 
harmonious  sounding  of  periods,  he  did  not  possess. 
His  style  sometimes  exhibits  a  want  of  ease  and  smooth- 
ness, in  arrangement  and  expression.  "  But  there  is  in 
his  negligence  a  rude  inartificial  majesty."*'  And  the 
good  sense,  the  uniform  simplicity,  the  unaffected  ear- 
nestness, and  the  excellent  spirit,  which  characterize  his 

*  Rambler. 


DR.  FINLEY.  175 

discourses,  render  them  highly  respectable  and  agreea- 
ble. Had  he  written  more,  he  would  have  written  bet- 
ter. Our  great  regret  is,  that  we  possess  so  lew  of  these 
pious  and  precious  productions  of  his  uncommonly 
strong,  elevated  and  sanctified  mind. 

In  presenting  a  summary  view  of  this  eminent  man  of 
God,  we  are  called  to  contemplate  an  unusually  pleas- 
ing combination  and  variety  of  peculiar  excellencies. 

Dr.  Finley's  person  exceeded  the  ordinary  size  of 
men :  he  was  about  six  feet  in  stature ;  erect  and  well 
proportioned ;  wide  across  the  shoulders  and  deep 
through  the  breast ;  grave  and  contemplative  in  appear- 
ance ;  deliberate  and  dignified  in  his  movements.  The 
lineaments  of  his  face  were  peculiar,  and  the  expression 
of  his  countenance  was  striking.  His  hair,  naturally 
black,  was  considerably  whitened  by  the  lapse  of  years 
and  the  toils  of  life.  His  forehead  Vv'as  unusually  capa- 
cious and  commanding.  His  eyes  were  blue,  marked 
with  a  mixture  of  mildness  and  severity.  His  cheek 
bones  were  high  and  prominent.  His  nose,  above 
the  common  size,  was  on  the  Roman  model.  His 
whole  mien  exhibited  traces  of  Scotch  extraction.  Com- 
pliance and  decision,  gentleness  and  asperity,  the  win- 
ning softness  of  conciliation  and  affection,  and  the  un- 
courtly  sternness  of  a  strong,  original,  self  possessed 
mind,  seemed  to  mingle  their  traits,  and  to  give  variety, 
interest  and  energy,  to  the  expression  of  his  face. 

The  outlines  of  his  character  corresponded  with  his 
personal  appearance.  The  features  of  his  mind,  origi- 
nal and  peculiar,  were  conformed  to  no  living  model. 
Firmness  and  independence,  in  him,  constituted  signal 
and  distinguishing  traits.  In  conversation  and  acquaint 
ance,  he  was  open  and  candid,  yet  considerate  and  cau- 
tious: he  was  dignified  without  ostentation ;  authorita- 


17 Q  MEMOIRS    OP 

live  and  determined,  without  arrogance  or  disdain  :  in 
opinion,  he  was  steadfast  and  faithful  to  himself,  but  not 
intolerant  to  others:  he  was  reluctant  to  admit  an  unfa- 
vourable impression  respecting  any  person,  and  slow  to 
manifest  it,  even  to  an  enemy  :  he  was  plain  and  easy  in 
manners ;  sufficiently  attentive  to  person,  dress  and 
equipage,  to  be  respectable,  but  decidedly  opposed  to 
show  and  splendour,  to  all  compliances  with  useless 
forms  and  frivolous  fashions.  In  receiving  and  enter- 
taining a  friend,  he  exhibited  a  singularly  agreeable 
mixture  of  carelessness  and  simplicity,  with  cordiality 
and  satisfaction. 

The  utmost  frankness  and  sincerity  ran  through  all 
his  actions.  Mean  compliances,  little  artifices,  cunning 
subterfuges,  he  utterly  abhorred.  In  the  latter  years  of 
his  life,  especially,  a  high  degree  of  Christian  gentleness 
and  meekness,  was  remarked  in  his  deportment.  It  was 
indeed  eminently  true  of  Dr.  Finley,  that  whatever  was 
originally  unhappy  or  wrong,  in  his  temper  or  deport- 
ment, he  controlled,  corrected  and  changed,  while,  at 
the  same  time,  the  high  gifts  of  God,  and  the  natu- 
ral excellencies  of  his  character,  from  good  sense,  from 
principle  and  from  grace,  he  perseveringly  and  success- 
fully cultivated  and  employed,  until  he  was  called  to 
the  general  assembly  of  the  spirits  of  just  men  made 
perfect. 

As  a  pastor,  Dr.  Finley  has  rarely  been  excelled. 
His  preaching,  like  himself,  was  not  resembled  to  any 
known  standard.  He  was  often  heard  to  say,  that  in 
early  life,  he  was  much  attracted  and  influenced  by  the 
powerful  eloquence  and  profound  discussions  of  the 
Ptev.  Dr.  Samuel  S.  Smith,  from  whom,  in  part,  he  re- 
ceived his  theological  instructions.    For  i\\2ii great  m^w. 


DR.  FINLEY.  177 

he  entertained,  all  his  days,  a  very  high  esteem  and  ven- 
eration. But  his  genius  v/as  so  peculiar  and  unaccom- 
modating, and  the  native  impulses  of  his  mind  towards 
something  original  and  unusual,  in  thought,  expression 
and  action,  so  strong,  that  he  could  not  bring  himself  to 
attempt  imitation,  or  conformity  to  any  proposed  exam- 
ple. Therefore,  casting  himself  upon  the  resources  of 
his  own  mind,  yielding  to  its  strong,  original  impulses, 
and  to  the  directing  and  governing  influence  of  lively 
religious  feeling,  he  pursued  a  new  track,  and  formed  a 
character,  sui  generis,  which  was  generally  admired. 

In  public  prayer.  Dr.  Finley's  manner  w^as  slow^  but 
earnest ;  simple,  but  solemn.  He  was  remarkable  for 
making  frequent  and  long  pauses,  especially  in  the  be- 
ginning of  this  service.  The  thoughts  and  views  which 
presented  themselves,  appeared  so  deeply  to  occupy  and 
engross  his  mind,  that  he  could  scarcely  proceed  from 
sentence  to  sentence.  His  prayers  were  sensible,  pious 
and  devout.  He  was  mighty  in  the  scriptures,  and 
hence  his  devotional  performances  were  enriched  with 
a  great  variety  of  appropriate  scripture  language.  In 
consequence  of  his  great  zeal  and  devotedness,  in  this 
part  of  the  service  of  the  house  of  God,  it  was  some- 
times carried  to  an  unusual  length,  but  never  so  far  as 
to  become  tedious  and  uninteresting. 

Lecturing  on  portions  of  the  scriptures,  was  with  him 
a  favourite  mode  of  instruction,  from  the  pulpit.  And, 
in  pursuing  this  plan,  he  manifested  superior  skill  and 
judgment,  in  selecting,  illustrating  and  applying  the 
most  important  and  useful  matter  which  the  passages 
suggested.  A  series  of  lectures,  which  he  delivered  to 
his  congregation  at  Basking  Ridge,  on  the  epistle  to  the 
Romans,  has  been  represented,  by  persons  highly  com- 


irS  MEMOIRS  OF 

petent  to  judge,  and  who  had  the  happiness  to  hear 
them,  as  displaying  in  a  very  high  degree,  masculine 
vigour  of  understanding,  fervent  zeal,  and  eminent  prac- 
tical piety. 

Dr.  Finley  was  one  of  the  most  highly  approved  and 
useful  preachers  of  his  day.  In  his  theological  tenets, 
he  was  purely  and  rigidly  orthodox.  Divinity,  in  its 
various  branches  and  departments,  had  been  the  subject 
of  his  laborious,  constant  and  delightful  study.  The 
word  of  God,  was  indeed  habitually  the  man  of  his  coun- 
sel, the  subject  of  his  meditation,  and  the  rejoicing  of 
his  heart.  His  experimental  acquaintance  with  the  ope- 
rations of  God's  Holi/  Spirit,  and  with  the  exercises  of 
the  soul  under  divine  influence,  was  deep  and  thorough. 
His  sermons  exhibited  a  copiousness  of  valuable  matter, 
ju<iicious  arrangement,  clearness  of  illustration,  strong 
reasoning,  animating,  practical  piety,  and  irresistible 
power.  The  sentiments  with  which  he  was  regarded, 
as  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  consisted  more  of  that  high 
esteem,  strong  approbation,  and  pious  satisfaction,  which 
sound  sense,  warm  piety,  and  great  exertions  in  a  Chris- 
tian minister  produce,  than  of  that  light  admiration  and 
applause,  excited  by  fine  talents,  finished  sentences, 
brilliance  of  fancy,  and  cultivated  gracefulness.  He 
captivated  the  heart  more  than  the  imagination,  and  se- 
cured the  approbation  of  the  former  more  than  the  ad- 
miration of  the  latter. 

If  we  were  to  analyze  his  intellectual  powers,  and 
his  qualifications  for  eminence  as  a  public  speaker,  and 
judge  of  them  by  the  principles  of  taste  and  the  rules  of 
eloquence,  as  separated  from  the  object  to  which  they 
w^ere  devoted,  from  the  service  in  which  they  were  em- 
ployed, and  from  the  effect  they  always  produced,  we 


UR.  FIXLEY.  irO 

should  not  pronounce  them  of  the  highest  order.  His 
voice  was  loud  and  commanding-,  rather  than  sweet 
and  melodious — his  elocution  was  strong  and  significant, 
rather  than  easy  and  graceful — his  gestures  bore  an  ap- 
pearance of  stifTness  and  negligence — he  did  not  ordi- 
narily employ  unusual  excellence  of  speech^  or  the  enti- 
cing words  of  man^s  jvisdom.  Notwithstanding,  he  pos* 
sessed  and  manifested  a  peculiar  power  and  capacity  to 
engage  and  impress  the  hearer's  mind.  This  we  are  as- 
sured was  the  fact,  in  the  metropolis  of  the  nation.  We 
are  furnished  with  ample  evidence,  that  this  was  the 
case,  among  the  wealthy  and  cultivated  citizens  of  Geor- 
gia. In  the  populous  cities  of  New- York  and  Philadel- 
phia, few  preachers  commanded  more  large  and  solemn 
assemblies.  And,  through  his  own  state,  in  to^\nand 
country,  he  was  heard  with  the  greatest  attention  and 
pleasure. 

The  effect  usually  attendant  upon  his  preaching,  was 
not  produced  by  an  artful,  studied  appeal  to  the  pas- 
sions, nor  by  the  play  of  a  sprightly  and  vivid  imagina- 
tion, nor  by  any  premeditated  stroke  of  eloquence.  It 
was  rather  an  effect  naturally  and  imperceptibly  created 
by  his  easy,  earnest  and  solemn  manner  of  address.  On 
ordinary  occasions,  without  effort  and  without  design, 
he  would  gently  draw  the  attention,  gradually  interest 
the  hearer,  steal  on  the  sensibilities  and  affections  of  the 
mind,  and  so,  imperceptibly  bring  the  whole  understand- 
ing and  heart,  into  a  state  of  painful  commotion,  or  of 
pleasing  captivity.  The  hearer  would  be  pleased,  im- 
pressed and  affected — yet  he  could  scarcely  tell  why. 
On  surveying  the  preacher,  his  talents  and  faculties,  in 
an  abstract  point  of  view,  he  would  find  little,  of  an  ex- 
traordinary nature,  to  admire :  but,  on  placing  himself 


V60  MEMOIRS  OF 

again  under  the  same  voice  and  in  similar  circumstances^ 
the  same  or  a  greater  effect  would  certainly  follow. 
The  Creator  had  endowed  Dr.  Finley,  with  uncom- 
mon powers,  which  could  be  distinctly  perceived,  and 
which  were  extensively  felt,  but  which  cannot  be  fully 
described.  It  may  be  said,  in  general,  that  he  saw 
clearly,  felt  strongly,  and  expressed  himself  with  solemn 
earnestness — that  sometimes  his  imagery  was  bold  and 
striking,  his  description  frequently  rapid,  ardent  and 
overwhelming.  After  all,  in  estimating  Dr.  Finley's 
powers  and  oratory,  we  ought  not  to  lose  sight  of  the 
important  truth,  that  the  power  of  the  spirit  of  the  most 
high  God,  often  rested  on  his  head,  penetrated  his  heart, 
and  pervaded  the  hearts  of  his  hearers  and  produced  ef- 
fects as  wonderful  as  they  were  divine. 

In  those  interesting  seasons,  of  awakening  and  revival, 
which  agitated  his  own  mind  with  strong  feeling  and 
prompted  him  to  corresponding  efforts,  he  sometimes 
exhibited  a  spectacle  in  the  sacred  desk,  which  cannot 
now,  after  the  lapse  of  many  years,  be  contemplated 
"without  lively  emotion.  Then  especially  he  was  ena- 
bled to  speak  in  demonstration  of  the  spirit  and  ivith poll- 
er. The  multitude  often  listened  with  astonishment, 
and  wept  and  trembled  before  him.  They  saw,  that  he 
preached,  not  to  secure  to  himself  a  najne,  but  for 
them  a  cronn.  Pious  sensibility  and  thoughtless  hard- 
ness, were  often  deeply  moved  under  his  awakening  dis- 
courses. His  descriptions,  comparisons  and  illustrations 
■were  often  highly  original,  significant  and  striking. 

During  the  out-pouring  of  the  spirit  in  1803,  he  was 
preaching,  at  a  particular  time,  on  the  atonement  and 
priesthood  of  Christ.  In  the  progress  of  his  discourse, 
after  the  subject  in  general  had  been  pretty  fully  explain- 


DR.  FINLEI.  181 

ed  and  the  work,  of  Christ  as  Saviour,  illustrated,  he 
made  a  strong-  eifort  to  convince  sinners  of  the  danger 
of  neglecting  Christ  : — he  represented  their  guilt  and 
misery  without  Hiui  in  strong  and  suitable  language  : — 
he  described  them  as  approaching  an  awful  precipiccj 
beneath  which  the  billows  of  divine  wrath  were  rolling 
in  fearful  majesty  : — every  eye  was  fixed  in  deep  and 
silent  attention : — the  breaking  surges  of  divine  ven- 
geance seemed  to  send  up  a  dreadful  echo  to  the  preach- 
er's voice: — just  at  this  moment  of  trembling  anxiety, 
the  speaker,  as  if  to  rescue  the  multitude  from  the  dread- 
ful ruin  to  which  they  were  rushing,  placed  himself  be- 
tween them  and  the  frightful  brink : — and  there,  his 
countenance  speaking  terror  and  amazement,  with  ges- 
tures suited  to  his  shrill,  alarming  notes,  he  cried  out — 
"  stand  back — stand  back — Oh  !  sinners,  let  me  push 
you  from  this  fiery  deep  !" — An  electrical  impulse  could 
not,  more  rapidly,  have  pervaded  the  house  : — the  as- 
sembly, in  general,  appeared  in  a  half  rising  posture,  as 
if  starting  to  recede  with  horror,  from  the  abyss  before 
them. 

Dr.  Finley  in  discharging  various  other  pastoral  du- 
ties, and  in  his  intercourse  with  society,  was  as  remariv- 
able  and  perhaps  as  useful  as  he  was  in  the  pulpit. 
Whether  solicited  or  not,  he  visited  the  sick  of  every 
age  and  of  every  character.  The  house  of  affliction  he 
delighted  to  frequent  and  to  bless  with  his  instructions 
and  prayers.  The  funeral  attentions  and  services  which 
he  rendered,  in  his  extensive  congregation,  were  very 
numerous  and  often  very  laborious.  With  great  solici- 
tude and  diligence  would  he  search  for  impressed  and 
inquiring  souls,  that  he  might  impart  encouragement, 
relief  and  comfort  to  the  troubled  mind.     It  was  his 


182  MEMOIRS  OF 

custom  on  at  least  one  day  of  every  week,  and  frequent- 
ly more,  to  mount  his  horse  towards  evening,  and  pro- 
ceed slowly  and  solemnly  towards  some  retired  corner 
of  his  congregation,  there,  by  appointment  to  meet  a  lit- 
tle assembly  of  immortal  creatures,  often  of  the  obscure 
and  indigent,  to  pour  out  his  soul  before  them,  in  in- 
structions, entreaties  and  prayers,  for  their  everlasting 
salvation.  He  appeared  to  be  always  engaged  in  the 
sacred  business  of  his  profession.  When  he  went  about, 
like  his  great  Master  and  model,  it  was  to  do  good.  In 
the  friendly  visit,  the  occasional  call,  the  unexpected 
interview,  by  the  fireside  or  on  the  way,  he  was  a  wit- 
ness and  a  monitor  for  God.  He  carried,  with  him,  a 
savour  of  piety,  which  made  him  alike  precious  to  the 
good,  and  venerable  to  the  wicked.  His  moral  temper- 
ament w^as  warm  and  active,  and  his  religious  frames,  his 
faith  and  love,  his  spiritual  hopes  and  comforts,  through 
divine  grace,  were  rendered  so  uniform  and  uninterrupt- 
ed in  their  character  and  influence,  that  he  was  always 
alive  on  the  subject  of  religion  and  to  the  interests  of 
souls.  Hence,  it  appeared  to  be  in  a  very  peculiar  de- 
gree, as  his  meat  and  his  drink  to  do  the  will  of  Him  that 
sent  him. 

His  ordinary  conversation  was  uncommonly  plain, 
judicious  and  sensible,  always  interspersed  and  enrich- 
ed with  pious  remarks  and  reflections.  Practical  piety 
w  as  interwoven  with  all  the  ordinary  and  extraordinary 
feelings,  views,  and  transactions  of  his  life — so  that  he 
was,  "a  burning  and  a  shining  light,"  shedding  abroad 
his  salutary  radiance,  equally  in  public  and  in  private. 
No  person  could  spend^  even  a  short  time  in  his  company, 
without  being  highly  pleased,  and  receiving  some  useful 
hints,   or  seasonable  instruction.     His  common  obser- 


DR.   FINLEY,  183 

vations  on  every  subject  bore  marks  of  wisdom,  pro- 
priety and  force.  His  society  being  very  agreeable 
and  useful,  was  highly  appreciated  by  all  classes  of  peo- 
ple. He  possessed  in  a  remarkable  degree,  the  faculty 
of  inspiring  confidence,  esteem  and  regard  for  him,  in 
the  minds  of  others,  young  and  old,  cultivated  and  plain, 
acquaintances  and  strangers.  To  this  faculty,  in  a  con- 
siderable degree,  is  to  be  attributed  the  popularity  and 
influence  which  Dr.  Finley,  so  extensively  shared,  in 
the  church  and  in  the  world. 

As  a  man  of  sound  scholarship  and  useful  science,  few- 
men  have  ranked  higher.  He  had  been  early  and  con- 
stantly an  attentive  observer  of  human  life  and  so  be- 
came well  versed  in  knowledge  of  the  world.  His  phi- 
losophical, attainments  were  very  thorough  and  respect- 
able. As  he  studied  to  extend  his  capacity  for  useful- 
ness, more  than  to  acquire  fame,  his  improvements  were 
solid  rather  than  splendid,  and  consisted  in  an  extensive 
enlargement  of  the  understanding  rather  than  in  a  culti- 
vation of  the  finer  powers  of  taste  and  imagination. 
Splendour  and  admiration,  were  in  his  view^,  things  of 
very  little  value.  Hence  solidity  of  thought,  fertility 
of  resource,  strength  of  conception,  appeared  to  him  vast- 
ly more  important  and  desirable,  than  the  most  improv- 
ed capacity  to  embellish^,  amuse  and  fascinate.  There 
was  in  his  mind  and  character  a  constitutional  propensi- 
ty to  grasp  the  strong  and  prominent  points  of  every  sub- 
ject and  every  science,  and  this  propensity  he  cherished 
and  indulged  from  principle.  He  perceived  the  strong 
and  urgent  demands  of  the  church  for  his  active  servi- 
ces: he  felt  that  life  was  too  short  and  his  powders  too 
feeble  to  accomplish  all  he  w^ould  wish:  and  hence  hr 


184  MEMOIRS    OF 

resolved  to  obtain  those  requisites  first,  wiiich  are  most 
essential  to  the  greatest  practical  utility. 

In  his  knowledge  of  languages  he  excelled  most  men 
of  his  age.  He  had  studied  the  English  tongue  with 
great  closeness  of  investigation  and  soundness  of  reflec- 
tion :  he  understood  it  well  in  theory  and  in  practice  : 
his  knowledge  of  its  principles  was  both  grammatical  and 
philosophical.  Although  he  did  not  shine  in  great  ex- 
cellence or  elegance  of  composition,  he  was  admirably 
qualified  to  illustrate  and  to  teach  the  important  practi- 
cal parts  of  the  English  language.  In  the  Hebrew- 
tongue,  his  proficiency  was  sufficient  to  enable  him,  to 
refer  with  ease  and  accuracy,  to  the  original  language 
of  the  Bible,  for  a  solution  of  any  doubts  that  existed  re- 
specting the  correctness  of  our  translation,  and  with  fa- 
cility to  communicate  the  elements  of  it  to  learners.  But 
in  the  Greek  and  Latin,  his  eminence  and  superiority 
were  more  decided  and  acknowledged.  To  a  careful 
and  finished  education,  in  classical  science,  had  been 
added  the  accumulating  improvements,  of  more  than 
twenty  years  experience  and  actual  service  in  the  busi- 
ness of  teaching. 

Dr.  Finley  possessed  an  extraordinary  capacity  for 
business.  He  was  more  admired,  however,  for  his  de- 
liberation, comprehensiveness  and  accuracy,  than  for 
his  quickness  of  conception,  or  rapidity  of  execution. 
He  could  embrace  and  pursue,  with  ease  and  efficacy, 
different  kinds  of  business  at  the  same  time.  All  his 
transactions  were  accomplished  with  great  facility,  with- 
out bustle,  and  apparently  almost  without  effort.  Pa- 
tience and  perseverance,  judicious  enterprise  and  zeal- 
ous public  spirit,  were  prominent  traits  in  his  character. 
The  village  and  the  country  around  him,  felt  happih/the 


BR.  PINLEY.  185 

influence  of  his  industry  and  skill  in  agriculture^  and  in 
various  other  species  of  public  improvement.  With  his 
judicious  economy,  was  combined  a  high  spirit  of  libe- 
rality. His  beneficence  extended  to  the  poor  and  un- 
fortunate— to  infant  congregations  and  rising  churches 
— to  poor  and  pious  young  men,  preparing  for  the  sa- 
cred office — to  the  cause  of  missionsf  in  general — and 
to  various  public  charitable  institutions.  His  bounty, 
bestowed  at  different  times,  on  the  interests  of  science 
and  religion,  connected  with  the  literary  and  theologi- 
cal establishments  at  Princeton,  was  unusually  large,  al« 

*  In  this  business  his  principles  and  practice  corresponded  with  tlie  sentiments 
of  the  Mautuan  Bard,  whose  science,  in  husbandry,  was  little  surpassed  by  Lis 
poetic  taste  and  beauty. 

"  Laudato  ingentia  rura, 
Exigunm  colito."     Georg  : 
!Nor  is  this  an  employment  unworthy  the  attentive  study  and  practical  regard 
of  any  man  in  whatever  profession  engaged. 

"  Quinctius  Cincinnatus,  cranium  consensu,  dictator  est  dictus.  Ille,  spes  unica 
imperii Romani,  trans  Tiberim,  quatuorjugerum,  colebatagrum." — Viii  Romae. 

f  The  following  statement,  on  this  subject ;  has  been  recently  presented  to  the 
writer  by  a  highly  respectable  minister  of  the  gospel,  who  received  the  conimuni- 
ftation,  in  confidence,  from  Dr.  Finley,  a  short  time  before  his  removal  to  the 
south: — 

They  were  returning  together  from  a  meeting  of  the  presbytery,  to  which  both 
belonged.  A  conversation  on  the  subject  of  missions  took  place.  Dr.  Finley 
ob.«!erved  to  his  friend,  that  he  thought  the  general  assembly  of  the  presbvterian 
church  had  not  engaged  in  the  business  of  missions,  so  extensively  and  zealously 
as  they  ought,  and  especially  that  they  had  been  very  remiss  in  paying  so  liUle 
attention  to  the  subject  of  foreign  missions.  After  making  some  general  remarks 
in  relation  to  these  objects,  Dr.  Finley  proceeded  to  say,  that  he  had  made  up  his 
mind  to  offer  himself  in  a  short  time  to  the  gene-  al  as«einbly  as  a  missioTiary  to  go  to 
the  east,  to  be  employed  under  their  direction  and  that  he  intended  to  present 
them  with  about  ^300,  to  lay  the  foundation  of  a  fund  for  the  purpose  of  prose- 
cuting and  promoting  this  object.  Circumstances,  recently  ascertained,  create  a 
belief;  that  the  particular  place,  of  missionary  labours  intenc'ed.  was  the  contem 
plated  colony  of  free  blacks,  to  be  formed,  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  and  eventually^ 
•ther  destitute  parts  of  that  great  continent. 

24 


186  MEMOIKS,  &C. 

most  beyond  his  means:  and  of  his  liberality  of  feeling 
and  intention,  towards  the  colonization  society,  we  are 
furnished  with  an  honourable  testimony,  in  the  letter 
from  my  correspondent  at  Washington. 

His  attendance  on  the  judicatories  of  the  church  was 
punctual  and  faithful.  In  m.ost  of  the  important  trans- 
actions of  the  church,  he  bore  a  conspicuous  part. 
Modest  and  unassuming,  more  ready  to  hear  than  to 
speak,  he  seldom  engaged  deeply  in  public  debates. 
There  were  occasions,  however,  on  which  his  zeal  pre- 
dominated over  his  diffidence,  and  forced  him  into  dis- 
cussion. At  these  times,  he  displayed,  both  in  appear- 
ance and  address,  his  characteristic  plainness,  dignity 
and  power. 

On  the  whole,  Dr.  Finley's  rise  and  eminence  in  his 
profession,  must  be  ascribed  to  the  joint  influence  of  his 
own  talents  and  exertions,  and  to  the  benignant  care  and 
assistance  of  Divine  Providence.  He  had  no  family  in- 
fluence to  bring  him  forward  and  recommend  him  to 
public  regard  :  no  powerful  and  devoted  friends,  to  pa- 
tronize and  promote  him  :  no  patrimonial  fortune,  nor 
parental  laurels,  on  which  to  repose.  The  native  acti- 
vity and  vii^our  of  his  mind  were  extraordinary,  and  the 
ardent  inrpulses  of  his  soul  to  be  good  and  to  do  good, 
stimulated  his  powers,  prescribed  his  course,  and  con- 
ducted him  to  true  greatness  and  true  glory. 

*'  Vitiis  nemo  sine  nascitur :  opliraus  ille  est, 

Qui  miDimis  urgetur."  Hon. 


I^(DTPI1 


NOTE  A. 


DANGERS  OF  SENDING  SONS  TOO  EARLY  TO 
COLLEGE. 

Placing  sons  in  college,  at  this  very  early  age,  is  ex- 
tremely imprudent  and  hazardous.  Very  few  experi- 
ments of  this  kin(i,  progress  and  result  so  happily  as  that 
before  us,  even  with  the  advantage  of  a  faithful  father's 
care.  It  is  obvious,  that  when  the  pupil's  mind  is  feeble 
and  immature,  his  capacity  must  be  so  circumscribed, 
that  he  cannot  proceed  in  his  studies  with  so  much  hon- 
our, ease  and  advantage  to  himself,  viewing  the  case  in 
the  most  favourable  light,  as  he  would  after  a  few  years 
more,  occupied  in  preparatory  study,  in  establishing 
habits  of  application,  and  in  acquiring  a  wider  compass 
of  general  improvement.  Parents  and  guardians,  as 
well  as  the  students,  are  great  losers,  in  most  cases,  by 
the  very  early  introduction  of  pupils  into  college,  inas- 
much as  they  do  not  obtain  so  great  an  amount  of  solid 
benefit,  as  they  probably  would,  by  a  little  more  delay, 
to  remunerate  them  for  their  attention,  anxiety  and  ex- 
pense. 

But  the  morals  of  youth  are  exposed  to  dangers  incal- 
culably great  and  serious,  by  their  being  placed  in  col- 
lege, at  this  tender  and  inexperienced  age,  from  under 
the  eye  of  thei'  parents  and  teachers,*  among  a  prorais- 

*  Iinb.-rbis  Jiivenis,  tandfm  ciistode  renioto, 
Cereiis  in  vitiiim  flecti   monitoribus  asper, 
TTtilium  tardii3  provisor,  prodigus  teris Hor,  ar.  poet. 


190  DANGEKS   OF  SENDING  SONS 

cuoiis  multitude  of  youth,  collected  from  almost  every 
part  of  our  land,  and  possessing  every  variety  of  charac- 
ter, principle  and  habit.  This  is  believed  to  be  the 
case,  even  with  regard  to  the  best  regulated  colleges  in 
this  country.  A  government,  which,  in  its  administration, 
is  enforced  principally,  if  not  exclusively,  by  moral  and 
prudential  motives,  and  which,  in  all  its  operations,  re- 
lies for  its  success  and  utiiit}^,  on  the  honour,  ingenu- 
ousness and  emulation  of  its  subjects,  is  not  calculated 
for  children  and  boys.  In  general,  no  previous  instruc- 
tion and  care  of  parents  and  teachers  can,  without  the 
special  grace  of  God,  so  firmly  establish  youth  in  good 
principles  and  habits,  as  to  fortify  them  against  the  se- 
ductions of  vice,  at  this  early  age,  and  justify  their  being 
placed  in  a  situation  in  which  temptation,  in  its  most 
captivating  forms,  constantly  addresses  them,  and  in 
which  they  are  left,  as  their  only  or  principal  security, 
to  the  genuineness  and  stability  of  their  moral  princi- 
ples and  feelings. 

Sound  policy,  and  prudent  regard  to  the  real  welfare 
of  colleges,  should  prompt  their  officers  to  discourage 
the  application  of  very  young  students  for  admission. 
It  is  not  to  be  apprehended  that  they  will  immediately 
become  ringleaders  in  turbulence  and  disorder;  but  it 
is  reasonable  to  suppose  thai  they  may  constitute  the 
materials,  with  which  the  really  corrupt  and  disorgan- 
izing commence  their  tumultuous  operations  in  resisting 
government  and  order.  Should  they  resist  or  escape, 
for  a  season,  the  danger  from  this  source,  to  which,  from 
their  inexperience  and  unsuspecting  temper,  they  are 
peculiarly  exposed  ;  Ixom  the  length  of  time  they  are 
to  remain  in  college,  they  enjoy  every  opportunity  ne- 
cessary  to   render  them,  before  they  complete  their 


TOO  EARLY  TO  COLLEGE.  191 

course,  inveterately  expert  and  sagacious  in  every  cor- 
rupt and  destructive  art  and  practice.  When  we  con- 
sider, that  the  pupils  placed  in  college  thus  prematurely, 
in  general,  are  such  as  possess  the  finest  minds — as  have 
made  the  best  proficiency  in  learning — as  are  attached 
to  the  most  wealthy,  intelligent  and  honourable  families 
> — and  as  afford  the  brightesi  prospects  of  success  in  stu- 
dy, of  doing  credit  to  their  friends  and  to  the  insti- 
tution, and  of  usefulness  to  the  st^te,  the  church  or  the 
world — how  lamentable  is  it,  that  they  should  be  placed 
in  jeopardy  at  this  critical  and  interesting  moment! 
Were  the  great  mass  of  the  students  farther  advanced  in 
years,  and  more  mature  in  understanding,  it  is  highly 
probable  that  the  convulsions  and  revolutions  experi- 
enced recently  in  the  colleges  and  universities  of  the 
United  States,  would  much  less  frequently  occur. 

In  support  of  the  ideas  here  suggested,  we  might,  from 
personal  knowledge  and  observation,  recur  to  many 
mournful  instances,  in  wiiich  amiable  and  interesting 
boys,  who  came  from  home  very  young,  giving  evidence 
of  excellent  disposition  and  virtuous  tendency  of  mind, 
of  good  domestic  government  and  s^holasiic  instruction, 
have  soon,  on  entering  college  and  mingling  with  the 
promiscuous  crowd,  changed  the  purity  and  simplicity 
of  their  manners,  become  indolent  in  study,  extravagant 
in  dress  and  expenditure,  addicted  to  vice,  and  a  sacri- 
fice to  the  im.prudence  and  precipitance  of  those  who 
superintended  and  directed  their  movements  in  life. 

W^hat  then,  it  may  be  asked,  is  to  be  done  with  boys, 
who  have  been  put  to  the  studies  preparatory  to  college 
very  early,  and  are  found  fit  to  become  members,  in  a 
low  class,  at  ten,  twelve,  thirteen  years  of  age?  Let 
them  be  prepared,  in  a  private  and  less  exposed  situation, 


192  DANGERS  OF  SENDING  SONS,  &C. 

for  a  higher  class  in  college  :  let  them  be  made  to  pay 
much  more  attention  than  is  usual  in  academies,  to  Eng- 
lish studies,  arithmetic,  book-keeping,  letter-writing 
composition,  geography,  history :  let  them  study  the 
French,  Italian  and  Hebrew  languages,  Jewish,  Chris- 
tian, Grecian  and  Roman  antiquities :  and  let  them  prose- 
ecute  the  classical  studies  to  a  greater  extent  than  is  com- 
mon, by  reading  the  whole  of  those  authors,  a  part  of 
which  is  ordinarily  esteemed  sufficient,  and  by  studying 
carefully  several  Roman  and  Grecian  writers  not  usually 
read  at  all,  such  as  Satir^e  Juvenalis,  Cicero  de  amicitia, 
de  natura,  de  oratore,  Deorum,  &c.  of  the  former,  and 
Thucydides,  Longinus,  kc.  of  the  latter. 


NOTE  15. 


ADVANTAGE  OF  TEACHING  TO  YOUNG  MEN 


Dr.  Witherspoon,  experienced  and  enlightened  on 
every  subject,  was  deeply  convinced  of  the  usefulness 
of  this  employment  to  a  young  man,  and  recommended 
it  to  Mr.  Finley  and  to  many  others,  with  great  earnest- 
ness. 

Every  teacher  is  himself  a  learner,  for  some  time  at 
least,  in  the  common  language  of  the  country,  "  he  is 
going  to  school."  It  being  his  duty  to  explain  clearly 
and  communicate  promptly  to  others,  to  judge  of  their 
performances  and  correct  their  errors,  he  is  impelled  to 
view  accurately,  to  investigate  deeply  and  to  make  him- 
self master  of  the  author,  language  or  science,  which  he 
teaches.  By  teaching  what  he  does  know,  he  acquires 
it  more  thoroughly  and  renders  it  familiar  to  his  mind 
and  permanent  in  his  recollection. 

Not  only  does  he  improve  in  science,  but,  what  is  un- 
speakably important,  he  gains  knovrledge  of  the  human 
character  and  forms  habits  of  exertion  and  of  business, 
by  this  employment.  A  school  is  a  little  world — a  teach- 
er is  an  observer  of  all  that  takes  place  within  it.  With- 
in his  narrow  limits  and  in  the  character  and  conduct  of 
the  small  company  that  surrounds  him  from  day  to  day, 
he  may  see  partially  exhibited,  the  talents,  designs,  pas- 
sions and  machinations  of  all  descriptions  of  persons 

25 


194  ADVANTAGES  OF  TEACHING 

who  display  themselves  on  the  theatre  of  life.  On 
the  one  side  of  this  little  community,  he  sees  integrity 
and  virtue,  humbly  and  diligently  devoted  to  their 
object: — On  another,  ambition  and  restlessness,  con- 
triving, fretting  and  struggling.  Soon  the  forward, 
deceitful,  arrogant  temper  will  be  discovered,  assuming 
its  plausible  exterior  and  claiming  the  high  considera- 
tion due  to  its  pretended  merits.  Here  strong  passion, 
turbulence  and  noise  will  manifest  themselves — there 
art'ul,  lurking,  insidious  vice.  Here  sluggishness  and 
shameless  falsehood — there  dulness  and  imbecility.  In 
one  place  will  be  exhibited  the  certain  success  of  pa- 
tient and  persevering  application  with  moderate  powers 
— in  another  the  lamentable  deficience  of  unsteady  ef- 
forts, even  with  the  noble  capacity  and  enterprise  of 
genius.  The  collisions  of  interest ;  the  conflicts  of  pas- 
sion and  power;  the  persecutions  and  injuries  of  un- 
resisting meekness  and  merit — are  soon  and  frequently 
referred  to  the  teacher  as  an  umpire.  He  must  hold  his 
court — investigate  character — pry  into  motive — hear 
evidence  — gradu.te  crime  on  the  scale  of  guilt — pro- 
nounce sentence — infJct  punishment — prescribe  reme- 
dies for  disorder — suggest  and  enforce  motives  to  obedi- 
ence adapted  to  the  dispositions  and  tempers  of  all  who 
are  concerned  in  the  passing  scene.  After  a  course  of 
employment  and  experience,  like  this,  the  young  man 
goes  out  into  the  world  to  meet,  on  a  larger  scale, 
the  same  characters,  tempers,  arts  and  vices,  which  he 
has  seen  exhibited  in  his  little  commonwealth.  He 
meets  scarcely  any  thing  new — any  thing  which  he  is 
not  prepared  to  expect  and  encounter.  This  knowl- 
edge is  essential  to  true  greatness  of  character  and  em- 
inent success  in  the  world.  The  earlier  it  is  acquired, 
the  more  immediate,   easy  and  rapid  is  the  progress  to- 


TO  YOUXG  MEiV.  195 

wards  distinction  in  honour  and  usefulness.  Other  means'*^ 
will  eventiially  secure  the  advantages  which  have  been 
suggested,  as  arising  out  of  this  occupation,  but  by  a 
much  more  slow  and  devious  process.  History  expos- 
es the  springs  and  windings  of  human  life.  But  the 
method  of  acquiring  practical  qualifications  for  useful- 
ness in  the  world,  here  referred  to,  considered  by  itself, 
unites  more  advantages,  is  more  immediate  and  extensive 
in  the  benefifs  it  produces,  than  any  other  separate 
measure  that  can  be  suggested,  and  probably,  in  most 
cases^  more  than  ail  others  that  could  be  employed  by 
a  literary  youth. — The  kind  of  discipline  and  drilling 

*  That,  resorted  to,  in  early  life  ])y  t!ie  illustrious  Virginian  patriot  and  ora- 
tor, Patrick  Henry,  of  which  his  eloquent  biographer,  William  Wirt,  Ei^q.  has  c-iv- 
cnus  an  interesting  detail,  in  his  splendid  view  of  that  great  man,  publishtd  at 
Philadelphia  1817,  pages  9  and  lO,  was  happily  successful—"  He  found  another 
relief,  too,  in  the  fiequent  opportunities  now  aiForded  hira  of  pursuing  his  favour- 
ite study  of  the  human  character.  The  character  of  every  customer  underwent 
his  scrutiny:  and  that  not  with  reference  either  to  the  integrity  or  solvency  of 
the  individual,  in  which  one  would  suppose  that  Mr  Henry  would  feel  himself 
most  interested :  but  in  relation  to  the  structure  of  his  mind  the  general  cast  of 
his  opinions,  the  motives  and  principles  which  influenced  his  actions,  and  what 
may  be  called  the  philosophy  of  his  character."  The  account  of  Mr.  Henry's 
manner,  stated  by  Mr.  Wirt,  is  this — "  That  whenever  a  company  of  hiscus- 
tomers  met  in  the  store,  which  frequently  happened  on  the  last  day  of  the  week, 
and  were,  themselves,  sufficiently  gay  and  dnimated  to  talk  and  act  as  nature 
prompted,  without  concealment,  without  reserve,  he  would  take  no  part  in  their 
discussions,  but  listen  with  a  silence  as  deep  and  attentive,  as  if  under  the  influence 
of  some  potent  charm  If  on  the  contrary,  they  were  dull  and  silent,  he  would, 
without  betraying  his  drift,  task  himself  to  set  them  in  motion,  and  excite  them  to 
remark,  collision  and  exclamation.  He  was  peculiarly  delighted  with  comparing 
their  characters,  and  ascertaining  how  they  would,  severally,  act,  in  given  situa- 
tions. With  this  view  he  would  state  an  hypothetic  case,  and  call  ior  their  opin- 
ions, one  by  one,  as  to  the  conduct  which  would  be  proper  in  it.  If  tliey  diflfered, 
he  would  demand  their  reasons,  and  enjoy  highly,  the  debates  in  which  he  would 
thus  involve  them  By  multiplying  and  varyinz  those  imaginary  cases  at  pleasure, 
he  ascertained  tlie  general  course  of  human  opinion,  and  formed  for  himself,  as  it 
were,  a  graduated  scale  of  the  motives  and  conduct,  which  are  natural  to  man." 


196  ADVANTAGES    OP  TEAGHING,    &C. 

that  the  mind  is  daily  subject  to  in  this  business,  strength- 
ens and  improves  all  its  faculties.  Could  young  gen- 
tlemen be  induced,  after  completing  their  collegiate 
course,  to  spend  a  few  years  in  this  occupation,  the 
public  would  be  benefitted  by  it,  as  well  as  them- 
selves. Grammar  schools  would  be  increased  in  num- 
ber as  well  as  improved  in  quality :  and  the  means  of 
education  more  extensively  enjoyed  through  the  coun- 
try, in  general. 

The  principles  here  advanced  and  the  practice  re< 
commended,  derive  importance  and  support  from  the 
fact,  that  a  number  of  the  principal  characters  in  our 
country — in  the  pulpit — at  the  bar — in  the  practice  of 
medicine — on  the  tribunals  of  justice — in  the  first  ranks 
of  military  honour — and  at  the  very  head  of  depart- 
ments in  government : — have  in  early  life,  participated 
in  the  labours  and  benefits  of  instructing  and  governing 
seminaries  of  learning.  And  on  the  whole,  from  mature 
consideration  of  the  subject,  it  is  believed,  that  this  em- 
ployment,  if  continued  sufficiently,  has  such  an  influence 
on  the  mind,  habit  and  character  of  an  intelligent,  judi- 
cious and  reflecting  young  man,  as  to  secure  to  him  pe- 
culiarly solid  and  valuable  advantages  from  it. 


NOTE  C. 

SKETCH  OF 
REV.  JAMJES  FRANCIS  ARMSTRONG 


The  following  brief  sketches  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  James 
Francis  Armstrong,  were  published  soon  after  his  de- 
cease, in  a  respectable  paper  printed  weekly  in  Tren- 
ton.  The  writer  sincerely  regrets  his  not  being  able 
to  devote  more  time  and  attention  to  the  subject  of  this 
biographical  notice  ;  a  subject  which  will  long  be  in- 
teresting and  dear  to  the  members  of  the  Presbytery  of 
New-Brunswick,  to  the  congregations  of  Trenton  and 
Lawrence,  and  to  a  very  numerous,  and  highly  respect- 
able circle  of  relatives  and  acquaintances. 

SACRED  TO  THE  MEMORY  OF 
THE  REV.  JAMES  FRANCIS  ARMSTRONG, 

LATE  PASTOR  OF  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 
IN  TRENTON, 

fVho  departed  this  life  on  the  19th  da?/  of  January^  1816, 

He  was  born  in  the  year  1750,  in  the  township  of 
West  Nottingham,  in  the  present  state,  then  province  of 
Blaryland.  His  father,  who  was  a  respectable  elder  in 
the  church,  and  an  eminently  pious  man,  early  placed 
him  at  a  classical  school  in  Fasj's  Manor,  under  the  di- 


1*J8  SKETCH  OF 

rection  of  the  reverend  and  deservedly  distinguished 
]\Ir.  John  Blair,  afteru'ards  Vice-President  and  Protess- 
or  of  Divinity,  in  the  college  of  New-Jersey.  Mr, 
Armstrong,  in  this  elementary  stage  of  his  education, 
was  marked  as  a  youth  of  prompt  talents,  and  promising 
hopes.  After  having  passed  through  the  usual  course 
of  the  classics  at  that  seminary,  he  was  renu)ved  to  the 
College  of  New-Jersey,  in  the  fall  of  the  year  MTl,  and 
entered  the  junior  class.  He  was  at  that  time  a  young 
man  of  very  sprightly  parts,  and  passed  his  examinations 
"with reputation.  Buthis  father  being  peculiarly  solit  itous 
for  his  moral  improvement,  induced  the  President,  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Witherspoon,  to  receive  liim  as  a  member  of 
his  family.  Here  he  contracted  that  profound  reve- 
rence for  his  venerable  preceptor,  which  marked  all  his 
conduct  in  the  college,  and  was  a  distinguishing  feature 
in  his  character,  to  the  latest  period  of  his  life. 

In  the  year  1773,  he  was  admitted  to  the  degree  of 
bachelor  of  arts;  and  having  continued  to  cultivate  the 
studies  of  theology,  between  two  and  three  years  longer, 
he  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel,  about  the  com- 
mencement of  the  revolutionary  war  for  the  existence 
and  independence  of  the  American  republic.  A  zeal- 
ous friend  of  his  country,  he  early  entered  the  revolu- 
tionary army  as  a  chaplain  ;  and  being  of  a  vigorous 
and  athletic  constitution,  and  of  great  bravery,  as  well 
as  sincere  piety,  he  served  in  this  arduous  war,  accord- 
ing to  the  demands  of  duty,  or  the  exigencies  of  the 
limes,  both  as  an  enterprising  soldier,  and  a  faithful  min- 
ister of  the  gospel ;  and  it  was  not  a  little  to  his  honour, 
that,  in  the  midst  of  so  many  scenes  of  peculiar  tempta- 
tion, he  was  never  ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  but 
caiiie  through  all  its  perils  and  seductions,  with  a  char- 


REV.  J.  F.  ARMSTRONG.  199 

acter  without  reproach  as  a  brave  citizen,  and  his  holy 
minis- ry  unstained  by  any  unhallowed  conlbrmity  to  the 
manners  of  the  world. 

Having  received  a  cordial  invitation  to  assume  the 
pastoral  change  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Trenton, 
he  entered  upon  it  in  the  year  1785,  with  the  humility 
and  friith  of  a  Christian  bishop.  Connected  with  the  se- 
rious duties  which  this  office  imposed  upon  him,  he  ac- 
cepted the  additional  charge  of  the  church  at  Maiden- 
head, ana  in  fulfilling  the  multiplied  services  of  the  vine- 
yard of  his  Lord,  he  continued  as  his  health  would  per- 
mit, till  the  period  of  his  death.  Towards  the  decline 
of  life,  he  was  visited  with  rheumatic  affections  of  un- 
common severity,  occasioned  by  the  arduous  services, 
to  which  his  active  spirit  exposed  him,  during  his  milita- 
ry career.  These  he  bore  with  uncommon  fortitude, 
and  pious  resignation  to  the  will  of  Heaven.  They  ne- 
cessarily created  some  partial  interruptions  in  his  paro- 
chial obligations. 

But  the  zeal  of  his  ministerial  friends  to  serve  him, 
contributed  to  render  these  interruptions  little  felt.  The 
warmth  of  his  fraternal  affections  and  his  devotion  to  the 
service  of  the  church,  cheerfully  called  to  his  relief, 
whenever  it  became  necessary,  every  aid  which  his 
brethren,  who  loved  equally  the  ardour  of  his  piety,  and 
the  generous  warmth  of  his  friendship,  could  bestow. 

The  character  of  his  discourses  in  the  pulpit  was  gen- 
erally fervent,  the  principles  of  hii  theology  orthodox 
and  scriptural.  In  his  friendship  he  was  ardent  and  sin- 
cere ;  in  his  piety  he  was  devout,  keeping  a  faithful  reg- 
ister of  the  religious  exercises  of  his  mind  for  many 
3^ears;  and  though  firm  and  established  in  his  own  prin- 
ciples, he  embraced   with  distinguished   candour  and 


26d  SKETCH  OF 

charity,  all  who  appeared  to  be  the  sincere  disciples  of 
his  blessed  Saviour. 

Extract  from  a  sermon  delivered  at  the  funeral  of  the  Rev. 
James  F  Armstrong,  late  pastor  of  the  preshyterian 
church  in  this  city  by  the  Rev,  Dr,  Miller  of  Princeton, 

With  regard  to  the  reverend  and  respected  brother, 
whose  remains  now  lie  before  us,  about  to  be  deposited 
in  the  house  appointed  for  all  living,  he  isgone  beyond 
the  reach  of  our  eulogies  and  our  memorials.  He  needs 
not  the  praise  of  men.  While  we  bend  over  his  lifeless 
corpse,  with  tender  and  mournful  recollections,  his  disen- 
thralled and  sanctified  spirit  is  enjoying,  we  humbly 
trust,  the  presence  and  the  smiles  of  his  God  and  Sa- 
viour. He  was  well  known  to  you  all ;  to  many  of  you 
longer  and  more  intimately  than  to  the  speaker.  There 
is  therefore  the  less  occasion  of  my  dwelling  long  on 
the  circumstances  of  his  life,  or  upon  his  general  char- 
acter. 

Your  departed  pastor  was  a  native  of  the  state  of  Ma- 
ryland, where  he  was  born  in  the  year  IfSO.  His  pa- 
rents were  highly  respectable,  and  in  particular  eminent 
for  their  piety.  They  trained  up  this  their  son  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord  ;  and  at  a  very  ear- 
ly period  of  life  he  received  those  religious  impressions, 
which  concurring  with  the  earnest  wishes  of  a  pious  fa- 
ther, determined  him  to  consecrate  himself  to  the  work 
of  the  gospel  ministry.  After  making  the  usual  prelimi- 
nary acquirements,  he  entered  the  college  of  New-Jer- 
sey ;  and  having  completed  the  course  of  study  in  that 
institution,  he  received  its  honours  in  the  Autumn  of  the 
vearirrs. 


BEV.  J.  F.  ARMSTRONG.  201 

In  a  short  time  after  leaving  college,  he  entered  on 
his  theological  studies  under  the  direction  of  the  vene- 
rable Dr.  Witherspoon,  and  completed  them  just  about 
the  commencement  of  the  revolutionary  war;  when^ 
fired  with  that  patriotic  ardour,  which  distinguished  him 
throughout  life,  he  determined  to  join  the  army,  which 
was  fighting  the  battles  of  his  country.  He  accordingly 
entered  it  in  the  capacity  of  a  chaplain ;  in  which  capa- 
city he  served  with  fidelity  and  reputation,  during  the 
whole  of  the  revolutionary  contest. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  he  formed  a  matrimonial  con- 
nexion with  the  family  of  Robert  James  Livingston, 
Esq.  of  the  state  of  New-York,  soon  after  vv^hich  he  was 
engaged  for  more  than  a  year  in  ministering  to  the 
church  in  Elizabeth-Town,  in  this  state.  In  the  year 
1785,  the  church  in  this  city,  which  had  become,  a  short 
time  before,  vacant  by  the  decease  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Spencer,  invited  him  to  take  the  pastoral  charge  of  it, 
in  connexion  with  that  of  Maidenhead.  He  accepted 
the  call,  and  was  settled  as  the  pastor  of  these  united 
congregations,  in  the  course  of  that  year. 

In  1799,  he  was  elected  a  trustee  of  the  College  of 
New-Jersey,  in  which  office  he  continued  till  his  death. 
And  few  of  the  members  of  that  board,  as  long  as  he  en- 
joyed a  tolerable  share  of  health,  were  more  punctual 
in  their  attendance  on  its  meetings,  or  more  ardent  in 
their  zeal  for  the  interests  of  the  institution,  than  your 
deceased  pastor. 

He  had  been  seven  or  eight  years  settled  in  thisphicCj 
when  he  was  attacked  by  that  distressing  and  obstinate 
disease,  which  was  the  burden  of  all  his  after  life ;  and 
by  which  a  frame,  once  the  most  athletic  and  vigorous, 
was    gradually  enfeebled,    borne    down,    and    finally 

26 


202  SKETCH  OF 

brought  to  the  dust.  The  foundation  of  this  disease  was 
supposed  to  have  been  laid,  at  least  in  part,  by  the  pri- 
vations and  sulTerings  \\hich  he  underwent  during  his 
connexion  with  the  army.  It  is  certain,  that  through 
the  whole  of  that  connexion,  his  enterprise  and  l^ra  very- 
led  him  to  encounter,  with  cheerfulness,  and  even  be- 
yond what  his  official  duty  demanded,  every  hardship 
incident  to  military  life, 

AVith  respect  to  the  character  and  the  success  of  his 
labours  among  you,  my  brethren,  there  needs  no  testi- 
mony from  me.  You  have  seen  him,  for  near  thirty 
years,  going  in  and  out  before  you,  labouring  with  assi- 
duity, and  during  a  great  part  of  the  time,  under  the 
pressure  of  disease,  for  your  spiritual  welfare.  You 
have  seen  him  addressing  you  with  affectionate  earnest- 
ness, when  his  enfeebled  frame  was  scarcely  able  to 
maintain  an  erect  posture  in  the  sacred  desk.  You  have 
heard  him  lamenting,  in  the  tenderest  terms,  his  inabili- 
ty to  serve  you  in  a  more  active  manner.  And  you  have 
seen  him  manifesting  with  frequency  his  earnest  desire 
to  promote  your  best  interest,  even  when  weakness  com- 
pelled him  to  be  absent  from  the  solemn  assembly. 

But  why  enlarge  on  these  topics,  before  those  who 
knew  him  so  well '  Or  why  dwell  upon  points  of  ex- 
cellence in  his  character,  which  all  acknowledged  ?  The 
warmth  of  his  friendship  ;  his  peculiar  urbanity  ;  his  do- 
mestic virtues  ;  his  attachment  to  evangelical  truth  ;  his 
decided  friendliness  to  vital  piety ;  his  punctuality,  as 
long  as  he  had  strength  to  go  abroad,  in  attending  on 
the  judicatories  of  the  church : — these,  among  the  many 
excellent  traits  of  character  exhibited  by  the  pastor  of 
v/hom  you  have  just  taken  leave,  will  no  doubt  be  re- 


REV.  J.  F.  ARMSTRONG.  203 

membered  with    respect  and  with  mournful  pleasure, 
for  a  long  time  to  come. 

I\Iore  than  once  have  I  witnessed,  during  his  weak- 
ness and  decline,  not  only  the  anxious  exercises  of  one 
who  watched  over  the  interests  of  his  own  soul  with  a 
sacred  jealousy ;  but  also  the  affectionate  aspirations  of 
his  heart  for  the  eternal  welfare  of  his  family  and  flock. 
Farewell !  afflicted,  beloved  man,  farewell !  We  shall 
see  thee  again  !  see  thee,  we  trust,  no  more  the  pale  vic- 
tim of  weakness,  disease  nnd  death  ;  but  in  the  image  and 
the  train  of  our  blessed  Master,  and  in  all  the  immortal 
youth  and  health  and  lustre  of  his  glorified  family! — 
■May  it  then,  O  may  it  then  appear,  that  all  thine  anxious 
prayers,  and  all  thine  indefatigable  labours  for  the  spir- 
itual benefit  of  those  who  were  so  dear  to  thine  heart, 
have  not  been  in  vain  in  the  Lord  1 


NOTE  D. 

SKETCH  OF  REV.  GILBERT  T.  SNOV\^DEN 


Rev.  Gilbert  Tennent  Snowden,  was  born  A.  D. 
1766.  He  enjoyed  in  a  peculiar  degree  the  advantages 
of  early,  pious  instruction  and  discipline  :  and  his  youth- 
ful education  was  of  the  most  thorough  and  liberal  kind. 
After  completinf^  the  course  of  study  preparatory  to  the 
sacred  office,  he  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel,  by 
the  presbytery  of  Philadelphia.  On  the  24th  day  of 
November,  1790,  he  was  transferred  to  the  presb3'tery 
of  New-Brunswick  and  solemnly  ordained,  by  the  same, 
to  the  work  of  the  ministry  and  installed  pastor  of  the 
congregation  of  Cranbury. — On  the  20th  of  February, 
1797,  in  the  eighth  year  of  his  ministry  and  in  the  thir- 
ty-second of  his  age,  his  respectable  and  useful  labours, 
in  the  church,  were  closed  by  death.  The  following 
appropriate  and  elegant  sketch,  of  his  character,  is  ex- 
tracted from  a  sermon  delivered  at  his  funeral,  by  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  S.  Smith,  president  of  the  college  of 
New-Jersey;  which  discourse  was  afterwards  published 
in  Philadelphia,  by  Messrs.  Ormrod  and  Conrad. 

"  Your  pastor  has  been  removed  from  you,  by  a  sud- 
den and  unexpected  stroke  of  providence,  almost  in  the 
morning  of  life,  and  the  beginning  of  his  usefulness. 
Young,  active,  and  diligent  in  the  duties  of  his  holy  call- 
ing, I  am  persuaded  he  has  created  a  deep  and  tender 


"206  SKETCH  OF 

interest  in  each  of  your  hearts.  And  I  perceive  that, 
in  this  event,  you  inourn  the  loss,  not  only  of  an  excel- 
lent man,  and  a  worthy  and  respectable  minister  of  the 
gospel,  but  of  a  monitor,  a  comforter,  a  friend,  and,  may 
I  not  add  notwithstanding  his  age  ?  even  of  a  Father  in 
Christ  Jesus. 

"ThebesteulogyofMr.  Gilbert  T.Snowdenwouldbe 
a  faithful  history  of  himself.  I  cannot  here  attempt  mi- 
nutely to  trace  it.  A  few  only  of  the  prominent  features 
of  his  character  I  shall  endeavour  to  sketch.  And  I 
shall  study  to  do  it  with  that  simplicity  and  plainness 
that  becomes  a  narrative  of  truth. — Early  in  life,  in  the 
studies  both  of  the  school  and  of  the  college,  he  discov- 
ered a  promptness  of  parts,  and  ardour  of  mind  that  pre- 
saged under  a  prudent  and  wise  direction,  great  respect- 
ability and  usefulness,  in  riper  age.  Blessed  with  a  pi- 
ous domestic  education,  the  principles  of  religion  made 
an  early  impression  on  his  mind.  And  notwithstanding 
the  great  vivacity  of  his  natural  disposition,  which  so  of- 
ten proves  a  snare  to  youth,  the  restraints  of  principle, 
of  reason  and  of  conscience,  still  retained  their  influ- 
ence. The  same  happy  principles,  under  the  direction 
of  divine  grace,  led  him  eventually  to  the  justest  senti- 
ments of  his  duty  to  God,  and  to  mankind.  His  deep 
and  earnest  concern  for  the  things  that  belonged  to 
his  eternal  peace  issued  in  a  calm  and  settled  hope  in 
the  divine  mercy  through  Jesus  Christ.  His  religion 
rested  on  the  Rock  of  ages.  And  a  fervent  spirit  of  pie- 
ty animated  all  his  private  virtues,  and  his  public  du- 
ties. 

"  For  a  short  time  after  receiving  his  first  degree  in  the 
arts,  he  applied  himself  to  the  study  of  the  laws  of  his 
country.     But  inflamed  with  the  love  of  doing  good. 


REV.   G.   T.   SNOWDEX.  207 

and  the  desire  of  consecrating  his  talents  to  his  Saviour, 
he  relinquished  the  pursuit  of  that  honoural)le  and  use- 
ful profession,  for  one  that  attracted  him  still  more,  as 
being  more  immediately  connected  w  ith  the  glory  of  his 
Redeemer,  and  the  immortal  interests  of  his  fellow  men. 
An  anecdote  relative  to  this  subject,  which  he  sometimes 
repeated  to  his  friends,  is,  perhaps,  not  unworthy  of  being 
mentioned  in  this  place.  His  mind  being  naturally  ar- 
dent and  aspiring,  he  entered  on  the  studies  of  jurispru- 
dence and  politics  with  elevated  and  ambitious  views. 
He  pursued  them  with  indefatigable  application,  and 
was  making  such  proficiency  as  promised  success  to 
his  wishes.  At  this  period,  the  death  of  an  eminent  at- 
torney who  enjoyed  great  reputation  at  the  bar,  and 
had  risen  to  some  of  the  first  honours  in  his  country, 
struck  his  mind  with  one  of  those  trains  of  reflection 
which  sometimes  spring  from  particular  events,  and 
have  a  great  influence  on  the  character  and  pursuits  of 
life,  and  which  can  hardly  be  accounted  for  except  by  a 
secret  agency  of  Divine  Providence.  He  asked  him- 
self, what  now  is  fame,  or  wealth,  or  all  the  honours  and 
splendours  of  this  world  to  him  who  can  enjoy  them  no 
more?  In  a  few  days,  all  the  boasted  distinctions 
among  mankind  which  too  often  foster  vanity  and  pride, 
shall  be  laid  in  the  dust.  All  that  they  have  been  is  then 
nothing,  that  only  is  real  which  they  shall  he  forever. 
My  earthly  ambition  I  see  is  vain,  I  will  look  to  higher 
objects,  and  give  it  scope  in  a  boundless  and  eternal 
scene — I  will  seek  an  inheritance  that  is  uncorrupted, 
undefiled  and  that  fadeth  not  away — I  will  aspire  to  glory 
only  in  that  heavenly  kingdom,  where  they  that  are 
wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament  and  they 
that  turn  many  to  righteousness  as  the  stars  forever  and 


208  SKETCH  Of 

ever*     From  that  moment  he  devoted  his  whole  atten- 
tion to  the  ministry  of  the  gospel. 

"  To  embrace  the  office  of  the  ministry  is,  in  our  coun- 
try, to  abandon  the  road  of  civil  honours  and  emolu- 
ments. .  It  is,  when  we  consider  merely  the  splendours 
and  dignities  of  the  present  world,  to  confine  genius  and 
talents  to  an  humble  sphere,  from  which  they  can  never 
hope  to  emerge.  It  is  to  embrace  a  voluntary  pover- 
ty,^ and,  by  two  contradictory  caprices  of  public  opin- 
ion, to  be  obliged  to  maintain  the  appearance  of  a  cer- 
tain rank  and  fortune,  and  yet  be  rigidly  precluded,  ex- 
cept at  the  risk  of  reputation  and  usefulness,  from  the 
means  of  attaining  or  improving  either.  It  is  one,  and 
no  inconsiderable  proof,  of  a  sincere  and  zealous  piety 
in  your  departed  pastor,  that  he  renounced  the  pros- 
pects to  which  he  was  invited,  in  pursuing  the  first  pro- 
fession he  had  chosen  ;  and  that  he  devoted  to  the  ser- 
vice of  Christ,  his  Master,  a  genteel  and  easy  patrimony, 
derived  from  a  parent  whose  industry  had  procured  for 
him  an  honourable  affluence.  But  you,  my  brethren^ 
had  other  proofs  of  his  sincerity  and  piety.  You  were 
witnesses  how  holily^  how  diligently  and  unhlameahly  he 
behaved  himself  among  you  who  believe  ;  with  what  faith- 
fulness and  zeal  he  preached  the  gospel ;  with  what 
firmness  he  reproved  the  disorderly  ;  with  what  tender- 
ness he  consoled  the  afflicted  ;  with  what  paternal  assi- 
duity he  visited  your  families,  and  taught  you,  accord- 
ing to  the  apostolic  exa,mple,  from  house  to  house.  The 
affectionate  attachment  to  him  which  you  manifested  in 
life;  this  numerous  assembly  that  attends  his  remains  to 

*  I  mean  in  coraparison  with  the  fortunes  which  men  of  talents  acquire  in  other 
lawful  professions. 


REV.  Gt  T.  SNOWDEK.  209 

the  dust ;  and  the  grief  that  is  settled  on  every  counte- 
nance, strongly  attest  the  fidelity  and  prudence  with 
which  he  discharged  his  pastoral  functions  in  the  midst 
of  you.  He  recommended  himself  to  every  man's  judg- 
ment, and  to  every  man's  heart. 

"Mr.  Snowden's  piety  to  God  was  united  with  the 
most  amiable  and  benevolent  attentions  to  mankind. 
His  charities  were  liberal.  His  social  dispositions 
warmly  attached  the  affections  of  the  people  of  his 
charge,  and  gained  a  ready  access  to  their  hearts,  for 
those  pious  reflections  which  he  was  prone  to  mingle 
with  the  cheerfulness  of  conversation.  Religion  in  him 
bore  nothing  gloomy  or  austere  in  his  aspect,  or  allied 
to  superstition  in  its  practice.  If  in  the  first  moments  of 
his  religious  zeal,  the  native  ardour  of  his  mind  seizing 
on  objects  so  great,  and  so  new  to  him,  as  those  of  the 
eternal  world,  led  him  to  form  ideas  of  piety  above  the 
present  standard  and  condition  of  human  nature,  reflec-^ 
tion,  judgment  and  acquaintance  with  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures soon  enabled  him  to  correct  them,  and  to  frame  to 
himself  a  system  of  virtue  and  practical  holiness,  highly 
rational  and  just.  His  pious  affections  seemed  to  be  ha- 
bitually in  act,  and  to  mingle  themselves  with  every  do- 
mestic, social  and  public  engagement.  His  conversa- 
tion was  always  cheerful  and  animated,  his  dispositions 
to  society  warm  and  affectionate,  his  spirit  candid  and 
liberal,  and  along  with  the  great  principles  of  piety,  jus- 
tice and  charity,  he  considered  it  as  incumbent  on  a 
Christian,  according  to  the  apostolic  direction  to  culti- 
vate 'whatsoever  things  are /oy^/y,  whatsoever  things 
are  Osgood  report:  and,  if  there  is  any  virtue,  if  there  \? 
any  praise  ;  to  think  of  these  things.'^ 

*  Philippians,  iv.  9. 

27 


210  SKETCH     OF 

"  Your  deceased  minister  and  friend  is  to  be  consider- 
ed, not  only  as  a  faithful  pastor,  but  as  an  useful  man. 
He  was  growing  into  great  importance  and  respectabili- 
ty in  the  judicatories  of  the  church.  And  the  flourish- 
ing circumstances  of  this  congregation — the  decency  of 
its  public  worship — the  order  of  its  finances — the  regu- 
larity of  its  discipline — the  accuracy  of  its  records — and 
the  readiness  and  pleasure  with  which  the  reciprocal 
duties  which  a  people  owe  to  their  pastor  have  been 
discharged,  are  ail  so  many  monuments  to  his  praise. 
His  counsel  and  example  promoted  industry.  He 
was  forward  in  advancing  every  scheme  of  improve- 
ment among  the  people.  An  excellent  citizen  him- 
self, he  inculcated  the  duties  of  good  citizenship,  as 
being  among  the  essential  virtues  of  Christianity. 
Vigilant  for  the  public  liberty,  he  knew  that  liberty 
itself  could  not  exist  without  subordination  to  laws.  An 
enemy  to  faction  and  sedition — abhorring  those  in- 
trigues, cabals,  and  slanders  that  tend  to  disturb  the 
peace  of  the  state,  he  ever  taught  it  to  be  as  much 
the  duty  of  a  good  man  to  submit  to  the  higher  powers 
in  the  execution  of  their  lawful  functions,  as  to  be  pru- 
dent and  circumspect  in  the  use  of  that  portion  of  sove- 
reignty that  each  citizen  enjoys,  by  which  those  powers 
themselves  are  appointed. — But  what  shall  I  say  ? — as  a 
citizen — as  a  neighbour — as  a  friend — as  an  active,  use- 
ful, amiable  member  of  society,  you  were  witnesses  of 
his  virtues,  and,  I  am  persuaded,  you  will  long  hold  the 
memory  of  them  dear. — As  a  pastor  you  loved  him. 
You  now  follow  him  with  your  tears  and  sighs  to  his 
grave.  Every  family  thinks  it  has  lost  in  him  a  broth- 
er or  a  father.  He  has  left,  I  trust,  in  your  houses  and 
in  your  hearts,  those  precious  seeds  of  piety  and  truth 


REV.   C.  T.   SNOWDEJf.  211 

which  will  spring  up,  and  bear  fruit  to  the  glory  of  God, 
when  he  has  received  his  reward." 

The  following  passage  is  added  from  the  same  dis- 
course, as  a  striking  instance,  of  that  superior  kind  of  el- 
oquence, for  which  the  writer,  of  the  preceding  elegant 
view  of  Mr.  Snowden,  is  so  highl}/  distinguished,  and  as 
presenting  reflections  suited  to  the  occasion  and  appro- 
priate to  the  character  of  the  deceased  : — 

"For  himself,  though  just  in  the  freshness  and  vigour 
of  life,  and  in  the  midst  of  prospects  of  usefulness  and  re- 
putation that  were  daily  enlarging,  it  has  pleased  a 
sovereign  Providence  to  call  him  away  from  a  young 
and  tender  family — from  a  bereaved  congregation — and 
from  his  labours  in  the  church  of  Christ. — Obscure,  of- 
ten, and  mysterious  are  thy  dispensations,  infinite  God  ! 
But  though  clouds  and  *  darkness  appeared  to  be  round 
about  thee,'  we  believe  and  confess  that  *  justice  and 
judgment  are  the  habitation  of  thy  throne,  mercy  and 
truth  forever  go  before  thy  face  !'^'  He  rests  from  his 
labours  and  his  jiorJcs  do  follow  him.  Let  this  be  the 
consolation  of  surviving  mourners.  Though  the  stroke 
is  painful — though  the  bereavement  is  severe,  and  grief 
for  a  moment,  may  overwhelm  the  weakness  of  human 
nature  ;  yet  a  pious  man  will  not  murmur  against  the 
will  of  God — a  good  man  would  not  wish  to  call  him 
away  from  the  felicity  that  he  enjoys.  Our  own  self- 
love  must  yield  to  the  considerations  of  his  superior  hap- 
piness and  glory." 

^  Psalms,  xcvii.  2,  and  Ixxxix.  14. 


NOTE  E. 

SKETCH  OF  THE  REV.  JOSEPH  CLARK,  D.D. 


Joseph  Clark  was  born  October  21st,  1751,  near  Eli- 
zabeth-Town, New-Jersey.  His  fatlier  was  a  man  of 
more  than  ordinary  worth,  and  his  mother  was  eminent- 
ly pious.  Mr.  Claris  regarded  the  good  example  and 
pious  instruction  of  his  excellent  mother,  as  having  been 
the  principal  means  employed  by  the  Heavenly  Father, 
to  bring  him  to  penitence  and  piety.  At  an  early  age 
he  felt  the  power  of  religion,  and  was  admitted  a  mem- 
ber of  the  presbyterian  church  at  Elizabeth-Town,  un- 
der the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  James  Caldwell.  After  he 
had  passed  his  twentieth  year,  his  views  were  elevated 
above  the  ordinary  pursuits  of  men,  and  fixed  upon  the 
service  of  God  in  the  ministry  of  his  Son. 

Henceforth  his  studies  and  his  whole  attention  were 
directed  to  this  great  object.  He  encountered  many 
difficulties  and  embarrassments  in  prosecuting  his  pur- 
pose, and  consequently  advanced  slowly  in  the  path  he 
had  chosen.  He  manifested  a  very  great  degree  of  pa- 
tience, industry  and  perseverance,  in  pressing  towards 
the  object  of  pursuit.  The  confusion  created  by  the 
American  revolution,  retarded  his  progress.  When  the 
British  entered  New-Jersey,  he  left  college,  and  joined 
the  American  army.  He  continued  several  years  in  the 
service  of  his  country,  rendered  important  aid  in  the 


214  SKETCH  OF 

revolutionary  contest,  and  received  attentions  irom  dis» 
tinguished  raiiitary  characters,  very  flattering- to  a  youth 
of  his  age.  At  length,  after  many  interruptions,  he  was 
honoured  with  the  degree  of  bachelor  of  arts,  in  the  col- 
lege of  New-Jersey,  A.  D.  ITSl,  just  at  the  close  of  his 
twenty-ninth  year.  Anxious  to  be  engaged  in  the  t,reat 
and  good  work  in  contemplation,  be  entered  upon  his 
course  of  theological  study  witheait  delay.  The  princi- 
pal part  of  his  theological  instruct  ons,  he  received  from 
that  venerable  father-^  in  the  church,  and  distinguished 
teacher  of  divinity  and  ecclesiastical  history,  the  Rev. 
Dr.  John  Woodhull,  pastor  of  the  first  presbyterian  con- 
gregation of  Freehold,  Monmouth,  New-Jersey,  with 
whom  Mr.  Clark  resided  some  time,  prosecuting  his  stu- 
dies preparatory  to  the  ministry,  and  improving  himself, 
by  assisting  his  reverend  preceptor  in  the  instruction  of 
the  highly  respectable  gramm  ir  school,  which  he  had 
established,  and  was  then  superintending,  at  the  place  of 
his  residence. 

Having  successfully  accomplished  the  course  of  study 
usually  prescribed  to  candidates  for  the  sacred  office,  he 
-was  licensed,  on  the  twenty-third  day  of  April,  A.D.  ir83, 
by  the  Presbytery  of  New-Brunswiri;,  to  preach  the 
gospel  of  Christ.  On  the  twenty-first  of  October 
following,  he  was  appointed,  as  a  stated  supply  for  six 
months,  for  the  vacant  congregation  at  AUcntown.  On 
the  fifteenth  day  of  June,  1784,  Mr.  Clark  Avas  solemnly 

*  This  honourable  appellation  is  justly  due  to  that  distinguished  minister  of 
the  gospel,  on  account  of  his  iiaving  been  a  'iealoiTS  and  activt^  partaker  in  most  of 
the  important  measures  by  which  the  Fresh  terian  Church  in  the  United  htates 
was  originally  established,  and  by  which,  under  God,  it  has  been  conducted  to  its 
present  state  of  prosperity.  Fn  addition  to  this,  it  is  believed  to  be  a  fact,  that 
he  has  sustained  the  office  of  ar>  •••rdained  minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  a  greater  num- 
ber of  years,  than  any  other  individual  now  living,  in  tue  Presbyterian  Church. 


JOSEPH  CLABK,  D.D.  215 

ordained,  sine  iituh^'^  to  tlie  work  of  the  holy  ministry, 
]iy  the  Presbytery  of  New-Brunswick;  the  Synod  of 
New-York  and  New-Jersey  having  been  previously 
consulted  respecting  the  expediency  of  that  transaction, 
and  having  approved  the  contemplated  measure. 

Very  soon  after  Mr.  Clark  commenced  his  visits  and 
occasional  ministrations  at  Allentown,  as  a  licentiate, 
the  people  of  that  place  manifested  a  strong  predilec- 
tion for  his  person  and  services,  which  in  a  short  time 
resulted  in  their  giving  him  a  regular  "call,  to  under- 
take the  pastoral  office  in  said  congreg?.tion."  Although 
this  became  immediately  the  stated  place  of  his  ministe- 
rial labours,  he  did  not  regularly  accept  the  call,  which 
had  been  put  into  his  hands  for  consideration,  until  June 
1788,  when  he  was  installed  pastor  of  that  congregation 
by  the  Presbytery  of  Nevr-Brunswick. 

Mr.  Clark  very  soon  acquired  the  esteem  and  confi- 
dence of  his  brethren  in  the  ministry,  and  became  high- 
ly respectable  for  his  talents,  his  prudence  and  his  pie- 
ty, in  the  eyes  of  the  church  and  of  the  world.  In  Jan- 
uary 1796,  he  was  regularly  *' translated"  from  the  pas- 
toral charge  of  the  congregation  of  Allentown,  to  that 
of  the  presbyterian  congregation  in  the  city  of  New- 
Brunswick,  where  he  continued  his  pastoral  services,  in 
growing  honour  and  usefulness  until  death. 

Mr.  Clark  was  endowed  by  his  Creator,  with  talents 
of  a  superior  grade ;  and  his  mind  was  enlarged  and  ac- 
complished by  much  reading  and  study.  These  things, 
together  with  his  deep  penetration  into  the  human  heart, 
and  his  thorough  experimental  acquaintance  with  the 
springs  of  human  conduct,  qualified  him  to  be  a  judi- 

*  Wilhout  pastoral  diargp 


216  SKETCH    0» 

cious  and  successful  agent  in  business  implicating  the 
characters,  involving  the  interests,  and  touching  the  sen- 
sibilities and  passions  of  men.  He  was  independent  and 
firm  in  his  exercise  of  thought  and  accustomed  to  rely, 
very  much,  on  the  dictates  of  his  own  understanding: 
and  without  appearing  to  be  ambitious,  presuming  or 
self  confident,  he  was  always  forward  and  ready  to  aid 
and  direct  in  every  great  and  good  work.  He  was  a 
very  distinguished  and  zealous  instrument  in  accom* 
plishing  several  important  public  transactions  in  his  day. 
In  the  years  1798  and  1799,  the  state  of  the  western 
frontier  of  our  country,  and  the  destitute  condition  of 
many  congregations,  either  about  being  formed  or  regu- 
larly organized,  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States, 
began  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  general  assembly 
and  of  the  leading  characters  in  the  presbyterian  church. 
The  Rev,  Mr.  Clark,  was  conspicuous,  from  the  begin- 
ning, for  activity  and  zeal  in  all  the  measures  relating 
to  this  new  and  interesting  object  of  attention,  in  the 
presbyterian  church.  The  general  assembly,  of  the 
year  1800,  brought  their  views  to  a  point  and  agreed 
that  the  following  objects  deserve  consideration,  viz  : — 

1.  **  The  gospelizing  and  civilization  of  the  Indians, 
on  the  frontiers  of  our  country." 

2.  "  The  instruction  of  the  negroes,  the  poor  and  those 
who  are  destitute  of  the  means  of  grace." 

3.  "  The  purchasing  and  disposing  of  Bibles  and  of 
books  and  short  essays,  on  the  great  principles  of  reli- 
gion and  moralit)^." 

4.  "  The  provision  of  a  fund  for  the  more  complete 
instruction  of  candidates,  for  the  gospel  ministry  previ- 
ous to  their  licensure." 


JOSEPH  CLARK,  D.D.  21? 

To  carry  into  effect  these  seasonable  and  beneficent 
plans,  the  ua,;t  of  funds,  was  perceived  and  deeply  de- 
plored The  assembly  resolved  to  appoint  and  send 
agents  through  the  country,  to  solicit  donations,  for 
the  purposes,  above  mentioned.  For  this  business, 
Mr.  Clark  was  peculiarly  qualified,  by  the  dispositions 
of  mind  and  traits  of  character,  before  suggested.  The 
assembl}^,  sensible  of  this,  selected  him  as  one  of  the  six 
persons,  to  whom  this  agency  was  committed.  He  en- 
tered upon  the  service  with  great  cordiality  and  zeal. 
His  heart  and  hands  were  warmly  devoted  to  the  cause. 
His  success  clearly  evinced  his  zeal  and  fidelity,  in  the 
business.  Of  the  agents  appointed,  only  four  acted. 
At  the  next  general  assembly,  iMay  1801,  Mr.  Clark  re- 
ported an  amount  of  subscriptions  obtained  g  6869, 
47  cts.  which,  with  some  unascertained  monies  due  from 
the  same  source,  exceeded  considerably  $  7000,  The 
most  successful,  oi  the  other  three,  reported  g2121, 
70  cts. 

In  the  year  1800,  whilst  these  things  were  taking 
place  in  the  g  n'.ral  assembly,  a  measure  connected 
with  this  subject  and  auxiliary  to  it,  was  introduced  and 
adopted  in  the  presbytery  of  New-Brunswick,  which 
was  important  in  itself  and  which  reflects  great  honour 
on  Mr.  Clark,  who  was  the  prime  suggester  of  the  plan, 
its  principal  advocate  while  under  discussion,  and  the 
most  active  and  influential  individual,  in  carrying  it  in- 
to effect. 

It  was  foreseen,  as  soon  asthe  above  named  subjects,  were 
taken  up,  in  the  assembly,  that  the  execution  of  the  con- 
templated plan,  for  enlarging  the  funds  of  the  assembly, 
must  devolve  upon  the  presbyteries  constituting  that 
body.     The  presbytery  of  New-Brunswick,  anxious  to 

28 


218  SKETCH     OF 

afford  pecuniary  aid,  in  this  exigence  of  the  church, 
with  all  possible  expedition,  and  in  anticipation  of  the 
assembly's  probable  decision  as  to  the  best  manner  of 
proceeding,  at  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Clark,  devised  and 
adopted  a  number  of  rules,  respecting  the  raising  of  an 
annual  collection,  through  their  churches,  the  last  one 
of  which  is  particularly  worthy  of  observation,  viz  : — 
"Finally  that  in  compliance  with  the  request  of 
the  elders  of  the  churches  in  presbytery  met,  and  in  or- 
der as  far  as  possible  to  equalise  the  contributions  and 
to  proportion  them,  to  the  abilites  (A  the  respective  con- 
gregations, the  annexed  schedule  of  apportionments,  be 
recommended,  to  be  considered  as  containing,  the  year- 
ly rates  of  contribution  i'vom  the  several  churches. 
*  Connected  with  this  resolution  stands  in  the  printed  mi- 
nute of  that  transaction,  a  specific  statement  of  the  sum, 
to  be  required  annually  from  each  congregation,  under 
the  care  of  the  presbytery,  to  be  disposed  of  agreeably 
to  a  foregoing  resolution.  Some  of  the  most  experien- 
ced and  judicious  members  of  presbytery  were  very  ap- 
prehensive of  serious  dissatisfaction,  and  resistance  to 
this  measure,  anjong  the  churches.  It  was  however 
adopted  in  presbytery.  And  in  order  to  explain  and 
vindicate  the  measure  in  the  view  of  the  congregation  ; 
and  to  procure  their  approbation  and  compliance,  Mr. 
Clark  consented  to  become,  in  person,  the  bearer  and 
publisher  of  it,  to  the  churches  in  general.  So  ably 
and  successfully,  did  he  perform  this  voluntary  service, 
that  the  whole  recommendation  of  the  presbytery,  on 
this  subject,  was  received  and  complied  with.  The 
congregations,  in  general,  in  their  annual  collections  for 


JOSEPH  CLARK,  D.D.  215* 

the  general  assembly,  observe,  at  this  very  time,  the  ap- 
portiomiients*  then  made  and  enjoined  upon  them. 

*  There  appears  to  he  a  radical  and  lamentable  defect  in  the  constitution  and 
government  of  the  preslnterian  church  in  regard  to  the  method  of  obtaiiiinji  funds 
to  meet  the  various  and  important  exigencies  of  the  church.  Every  govei  nraent 
ought  to  possess  power  and  to  exhibit  in  its  constitution  and  laws  a  provision,  for 
obfp.iningfrom  its  own  subjects,  on  equitable  princi;le-,  adequate  means  to  accom- 
plish the  important  purposes  and  to  promote  the  best  interests,  of  the  system  Our 
ecclesiastic  al  compact,  is  destitute  of  such  a  provision.  The  plan  pursued  is  with- 
out authoiity  and  therefore  comparatively  without  effect  The  repeated  calls 
addrt-sscd  to  tl^e  churches.  "Ocompanied  by  a  formal  recommendation^  feebly  and 
timidly  whispered  out,  are  heard  oely  by  a  part,  and  heeded,  by  very  few, 
Leiivingthe  manner  a»id  amount  of  contribution  entirely  to  the  discretion  of  the 
contributor,  the  present  system  operates  unequally  and  unjustly  as  it  relates  to 
different  sections  of  the  church  and  individuals  in  the  same  portion  oithe  church. 
It  is  attended  with  vast  inconvenience,  delay,  and  SAciilice,  imposing  hrough  the 
scantiness  of  it*  products,  the  neces?ity  of  direct  and  repeated  appeals  to  the  char- 
ity and  liberality  of  the  few  disposed  to  give,  by  solicitation,  subscriptions  and  col- 
lections, which  at  length  become  burdensome,  to  the  collectors  and  offensive  to 
the  people.  And  the  most  material  dis^id  vantage  is,  that  the  resources  provided 
are  temporary  and  inadeqaateto  the  demand. 

The  system  introducf  d  into  the  presbytery  of  New -Brunswick,  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  Mr.  Clark,  prescribing  to  every  congregation  the  permanent 
amount  of  annual  contribution,  presents  an  actual  demonstration,  of  the  disposi- 
tion with  which,  a  measure  containing  this  principle,  would  probably  be  received 
in  the  presbyterian  chuich,  in  general,  when  once  adopted  by  the  voice  of  the  rep- 
resentatives of  the  clergy  and  1  lily  acting  in  their  supreme  legislative  capacity. 
The  number  of  professors  of  religion  in  this  branch  of  the  church,  consists  of  at 
least  eO.OOO  :  and  there  are,  at  a  moderate  estimate.,  250,000  supporters  of  the 
gospel,  or  attendants  on  public  worship  within  her  bounds.  How  perfectly  easy 
would  it  be,  to  provide  7nmns  by  making  a  very  low  assessment,  on  this  great 
mass  of  people,  for  the  most  part,  living  in  circumstances  of  abundance  and  ease, 
sufficient,  to  carry  on  the  missionary  opei  ations—to  discharge  the  clainas  on  the 
commissioner's  fund,— and  to  mature  and  perfect  our  most  valuable  and  interest- 
ing Theological  Seminary  at  Princeton  ! 

The  extracts  from  the  minutes  of  the  general  assembly,  for  the  year  1800,  in- 
form us.  that  a  measure  somewfiat  of  this  kind  was  thought  of,  but  imfortunately 
abandoned  at  that  period.  — The  paragraph  referred  to  is  under  the  head  of 
'*  means  by  which  necessary  funds  may  be  provided"  &c  viz  :  — "  It  is  not  impos- 
sible nor  perhaps  improbable,  that  if  experience  should  demonstrate  the  practica- 
bility jnd  utility  of  the  measures  contemplated,  the  people,  of  tie  presbyterian 
denomination,  might  generally  be  persuaded  to  make  an  annual  donation  (say 


220  SKETCH    OF 

In  the  year  1799,  Mr.  Clark  was  appointed  by  the 
general  assen^biy,  in  connexion  with  several  other  ve- 
ry r^spe;  table  gentlemen,  •  >  meet  the  General  Synod  of 
the  Reformed  Associate  Churches,  on  the  subject  of  their 

twenty-five  centp^'each')  to  render  thpm  moreexten^ivply  effpctive.  and  this  of  it- 
self would  ffovery  far  toward'!  providing  a  fund,  adfquatf  to  all  tbe  ex[)enses  con- 
templated."- A  plan  of  this  nature,  to  supplv  the  defect  here  referred  to,  and  to 
be  «iib>utijted  either  '.lioaether,  or  in  part,  for  the  method  now  employed,  devised 
with  equity,  introduced  in  a  prudent  conciliatory  manner,  recommended  and  en- 
forced only  by  argument,  persuasion  and  entrea*^v  b  ^an  appeal  to  the  pious  aflfec- 
tion,  benevolence  and  zeal  of  the  piesbvterian  church,  vvowld  be  a  very  great  im- 
provement in  our  system  of  ecclesiastical  finance.  That  ii  would  be  extensively 
eflV,ctive,  even  making  the  apportionment  very  low,  appears  unquestionable,  when 
the  extent  of  the  church  and  the  amount  of  her  numbers,  are  taken  into  view. 
And  that  it  would  meet  the  approbation  and  acceptance  of  the  churches,  if  judi- 
ciously managed,  there  is  very  little  reason  to  doubt.  They  who  are  disposed  to 
contribute  to  the  necessary  call^  of  the  church  would  not  complain  of  this  measure, 
because  it  would  efTectuaily  prevent  their  being  applied  to,  for  more  than  their 
fair,  and  just  pioportion.  They  who  possess  a  contrary  disposition  and  who  have 
manifested  it  by  their  practice,  ought  to  be  the  last  to  find  fault,  having  so  long  en- 
joyed an  almost  en  ire  exemption  from  these  reasonable  and  uecf*ssary  burdens. 
The  truth  is,  the  sum  required,  would  appear,  to  all,  so  inconsiderable — tbe  rea- 
sonablenes"  and  necessity  ot  the  measure,  so  obvious — the  good  to  be  produced  by 
this  mean  so  incal.ulahle— and  the  capacity  to  contribute,  the  mites  required 
would  be  found  in  general  so  ample,  th^t  if  proper  explanations  were  to  accompa- 
ny such  a  measure,  in  its  first  publication  and  proposal  to  the  church,  it  could 
not  fail  to  receive  the  approbation  of  the  enlightened  and  liberal  people,  who 
compose  the  presb^  terian  bodv  in  this  country. 

We  need  a  system  of  this  kind  at  the  present  moment.  Notwithstanding  all 
the  efforts  that  ave  been  made  and  the  successes  that  have  followed,  without 
such  a  resort  as  this,  it  i-s  difficult  to  see  how  the  great  and  beneficent  designs, 
now  contemplated  in  the  presb;  terian  church,  caa  be  speedily  and  completely 
attained. 

*  This  sum  is  so  small,  that  probahli>.  veryfetv  would  be  found,  to  whom  the  pay' 
tntnt  of  it  ri'iuld  be  burdensome  or  di  ai^reenble  But  if  might  be  reduced  siill  lower 
and,  even  then,  it  would,  be  a  producbv*  resource,  in  no  ivise  inconsistent  with  the  sa. 
eredness  and  di^nitynf  the  church.  The  I'eter  ppnce-tax  which  consisted  of  one 
penny  on  each  house,  was  continued  for  ctnturies  on  the  continent  if  Europe  and 
tven  in  Great  Britain,  under  ")me  of  the  most  illustrious  sovereigns.  See  Mo-; 
5A«m's  Ecclesia'Mcal History^  Vol.  ii,  page  4S'A.  Nrsbit,  151. 


JOSEPH    dLARK,    D.D.  221 

receiving  and  ratifying,  the  system  of  correspondence 
and  intercourse,  between  the  Associate,  Dutch  Reform- 
ed and  Presbyterian  Oh;  re  es,  in  the  United  States, 
which  had  been  prepared  and  reported  by  a  joint  com- 
mittee from  these  several  sections  of  the  church,  and 
unanimously  agreed  to,  by  the  last  general  assembly. 
In  this  business  their  elforts  were  unsuccessfal :  and  the 
whole  plan,  so  happily  calculated  to  establish  friendly 
intercourse  and  correspondence  between  these  separate 
branches  of  the  church,  was  frustrated. 

Mr.  Clark's  reputation  as  a  most  able  and  successful 
advocate,  m  the  cause  of  charity,  was  now  established. 
And  divine  Providence  very  soon  presented,  a  new  and 
irresistible  call  fur  his  services,  in  this  capacity.  On  the 
6th  day  of  March  1802,  the  edifice,  hbrary,  and  philo- 
sophical apparatus  of  the  college  of  New>Jersey,  estab- 
lished at  Princeton,  were  destroyed  by  fire.  This  was 
an  alarming  and  desolating  conflagration.  The  funds 
were  in  a  state  so  entirely  exhausted  and  the  destruction 
of  every  thing  but  the  walls  of  the  college  was  so  com- 
plete, that  many  doubted  whether  it  could  ever  be  re- 
covered from  Its  ru'ned  condition.  But  the  trustees  of 
the  college  immediately  resolved  to  attempt  its  restora- 
tiim.  On  the  18th  of  March,  they  issued  their  eloquent 
and  pathetic  address  Ho  the  iiihabitants  of  the  United 
States,'  on  this  interesting  subject.  Preparatory  meas- 
ures were  imniediately  taken,  to  obtain  by  so  icitation, 
the  funds  rerp.iisite,  for  re-establishing  the  institution. 
Mr.  Clark,  the  decided  friend  of  literature,  as  well  as  of 
piety,  at  the  request  of  the  corporation  of  the  college, 
agreed  to  perform  a  soliciting  tour,  to  repair  the  losses 
which  the  college  had  sust^sined.  In  company  with 
John  Bryan,  Esq.  of  Somerset  county,  an  Irish  gentle- 


222  SKETCH  OF 

man  of  wealth,  intelligence  and  enterprise,  wl^o  was  se- 
lected by  the  iioard  of  Trustees  to  be  his  collcagae  in 
this  journey,  he  set  out  from  home,  early  in  the  ensuing 
autumn.  After  travelling  tt>gether  into  the  interior  of 
Virginia,  and  meeting  with  pleasing  encouragement  in 
their  business,  to  give  wider  compass  to  their  efforts, 
they  agreed  to  separate.  Judge  Bryan  was  to  direct 
his  course  to  the  west  and  north,  and  to  return  to  New- 
Jersey  in  the  following  spring..  The  movements  and 
successes  of  this  gentleman  Avere,  very  soon  after  the  sep- 
aration, terminated  by  death  ;  he  being  attacked  by  a 
fit  of  the  bilious  colic,  a  disease  to  which  he  was  subject 
occasionally,  which  proved  fatal.  Mr.  Clark,  who  was 
to  have  continued  his  journey  in  a  direction  inclining 
somewhat  to  the  south,  to  the  east,  and  to  the  northeast, 
and  so  to  return  home,  when  he  came  into  the  vicinity 
of  the  Chesapeake,  was  also  taken  sick.  His  disease, 
though  not  alarming,  was  tedious  and  afflicting;  inas- 
much as  it  caused  a  painful  suspension  of  his  services, 
and  rendered  somewhat  doubtful  the  ultm-jate  success  of 
his  mission.  Although  he  was  prevented  by  this  dispen- 
sation of  divine  Providence,  from  prosecuting  his  la- 
bours  to  the  extent  originally  contemplated,  yet  his  ser- 
vices were  very  important  to  the  institution,  and  highly 
satisfactory  to  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

About  this  period,  Mr.  Clark  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  corporation  of  Princeton  college,  in  which  sta- 
tion he  continued  to  act,  with  distinguished  fidelity  and 
zeal,  till  the  close  of  his  life. 

In  the  year  lo©6,  he  was  appointed  a  delegate  from 
the  General  Assembly  of  rhe  Presbyterian  Church,  to 
attend  the  General  Association  of  the  state  of  Connecti- 
cut. 


JOSEPH  CLARK,  D.D.  223 

The  system  recommended  by  the  General  Assembly, 
and  adopted  by  the  Presbytery  of  Ncw-Pninswick,  for 
the  charitable  education  of  poor  and  pious  youth,  for 
the  gospel  ministry,  he  patronized  and  promoted  with 
all  possible  diligence  and  earnestness.  The  difhculties 
he  had  encour.tered  in  his  course  preparatory  to  the 
mini>ti'y,  seemed  to  inspire  him  with  increased  zeal  in 
forw  arding  this  measure.  By  the  appointment  of  pres- 
bytery, he  acted  for  many  years,  as  principal  member  of 
the  committee  of  education,  whose  business  it  is,  especi- 
ally to  superintend  the  education  of  such  candidates  for 
the  sacred  office,  as  are  dependent  on  presbyterial  aid. 

Mr.  Clark  was  honoured  for  many  successive  years, 
with  being  a  member  of  the  comnuttee  of  missions,  which 
acted  by  the  appointment  and  under  the  direction  of  the 
General  Assembly.  In  all  the  transactions  of  this  com- 
mittee, he  felt  a  deep  interest,  and  took  an  active  part. 

In  the  year  1809,  when  the  preparatory  measures 
Avere  commenced  for  establishing  the  Bible  Society  of 
New- Jersey,  Mr.  Clark  was  foremost  in  zeal  and  dili- 
gence, among  the  founders  of  that  excellent  institution. 
In  the  course  of  this  year,  the  degree  of  Doct;)r  of  Di- 
vinity was  conferred  upon  him,  by  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees in  Jefferson  College,  established  at  Cannonsburgh, 
in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania;  a  distinction  due  to  his 
talents  and  merits. 

Dr.  Clark  was  a  warm  and  decided  friend  of  the  theo- 
logical seminary  established  at  Princeton  ;  and  had  his 
life  been  prolonged  to  this  day,  no  man  would  have  re- 
joiced more  than  this  zealous  and  active  servant  of  God, 
in  its  prosperous  course,  in  the  advantages  already  ari- 
sing from  it,  and  in  iis  growing  prospects  of  utility,  to 
the  church,  and  to  the  world. 


224  SKETCH  OF 

Notwithstanding  the  fef:'h!eness  of  his  health  and  the 
multiplicity  of  his  enqaj^ements,  Dr.  Clark  exhibited  a 
rare  instance  of  most  undeviatine:  punctuality  and  faith- 
fulness, in  attendine:  all  the  meetiiis^s  of  the  judicatories 
of  the  church  with  which  he  stood  connected.  So  very 
frequently  was  he  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly, 
that  he  became  personally  acquainted  with  all  the  prin- 
cipal characters  in  the  church:  he  was  himself  well 
known,  throughout  the  whole  presbyterian  body;  and 
he  embraced  in  his  mind,  with  extraordinary  correct- 
ness, the  whole  course  of  business  and  manner  of  pro- 
cedure, in  the  General  Assembly.  Probably  his  influ- 
ence and  usefulness  proceeded,  in  no  inconsiderable  de- 
gree, from  these  circumstances. 

Thus,  through  the  good  providence  of  God,  Dr. 
Clark  rose  from  obscurity,  by  the  force  of  his  talents 
and  industry,  and  became  an  important  and  leading 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  lived  to  the 
church  and  to  his  generation.  Concerning  most,  if  not 
all  the  great  transactions  that  took  place  in  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  within  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life* 
he  might  justly  have  said, 

*'  Q,u£eque  ipse  vidi  et  magna  pars  fui." 

His  life  exhibited  a  scene  of  ardent  desire  and  per- 
petual exertion  to  be  useful.  He  was  an  able  and  faith- 
ful pastor.  He  visited  his  people  much,  and  taught 
them  from  house  to  house.  The  state  of  his  health  of- 
ten  prevented  his  attempting  as  much  pastoral  service, 
as  his  piety  and  zeal,  in  circumstances  more  favoured 
in  this  respect,  would  have  prompted  him  to  perform. 
His  public  discourses  were  uncommonly  solid  and  jndi- 


JOSEPH  CLARK,  D.D.  '  225 

cious  ;  comprising  always  a  full  proportion  of  pious,  im- 
portant and  interesting  matter ;  delivered  in  a  plain, 
solemn,  dignified  and  affectionate  manner.  He  was 
thoroughly  Calvinistic  in  all  his  opinions  and  represen- 
tations of  Christian  faith  and  doctrine.  Practical  infer- 
ence and  application,  composed  a  large  and  material 
part  of  all  his  pulpit  performances. 

A  sermon,  delivered  on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of 
the  Hon.  William  Patterson,  Esq.  L.  li.  D.  published  in 
New-Brunswick,  A.  D.  1806,  and  two  of  his  discourses, 
inserted  in  the  New- Jersey  Preacher,  1813,  present  hand- 
some and  honourable  specimens  of  his  taste  and  accuracy 
as  a  waiter.  On  ordinary  occasions,  on  account  of  the  de- 
bility of  his  breast  and  lungs,  his  elocution  was  slow  and 
languid ;  but  there  were  times  when  he  seemed  to  rise 
above  the  weakness  of  his  nature,  to  be  inspired  with 
youthful  vigour,  and  to  display  much  of  the  spirit  and 
energy  of  a  great  Christian  orator. 

His  talents  in  debate  were  remarkable,  both  to  dis- 
cern and  to  defeat  the  arguments  and  aims  of  his  adver- 
saries. He  had  promptness  without  arrogance  in  ad» 
vancing,  and  firmness  wiihout  ostentation  or  obstinacy 
in  maintaining  his  opinions.  When  he  had  inadvertent- 
ly deviated  from  fact  or  order,  it  seemed  to  give  him 
pleasure,  when  reminded  of  it  even  by  the  most  incon- 
siderable of  his  brethren,  to  make  acknowledgment  and 
reparation.  The  opinions  and  pleas  of  opponents  in 
discussion,  he  treated  with  perfect  civility  and  respect. 
On  the  introduction  of  a  new  subject,  he  did  not  employ 
the  popular  artifice  sometimes  resorted  to  by  those  who 
aim  at  triumph  only  in  debate,  of  waiting  in  silence  to 
discover  the  popular  impulse,  that  he  might  the  more 
certainly  espouse  the  successful  side  of  the  question. 

29 


m 

226  SKETCH  OF 

On  occasions  of  this  kind,  he  was  often  one  of  the  first 
speakers.  And  instead  of  betraying  himself  into  the 
power  of  others,  or  laying  himself  open  to  critical  or 
captious  remarks,  by  want  of  previous  thought,  he  gen- 
erally manifested  that  his  mind  was  accomplished  and 
prepared  to  speak  at  once,  \\  ith  propriety  and  efTect,  on 
almost  every  subject. 

In  the  details  and  minutife  of  business,  few  men  prob- 
ably have  surpassed  Dr.  Clark.  In  giving  thought  in- 
stantaneously an  eligible  form  on  paper,  for  any  speci- 
fied purpose,  in  matters  of  business  ;  in  drawing  an  ar- 
ticle of  agreement  between  hostile  parties  ;  in  sketching 
a  minute,  a  report,  a  resolution,  or  any  preliminary 
facts  and  circumstances,  he  manifested  peculiar  quick- 
ness and  ability.  He  was  patient,  discerning,  accurate 
and  indefatigable,  far  beyond  what  is  usual  even  with 
men  of  his  high  character  and  standing. 

Dr.  Clark  possessed  extraordinary  colloquial  powers, 
and  a  peculiar  relish  for  cultivated  society;  and  his  ex- 
tensive and  various  information,  his  easy  address  and 
facility  of  communication,  rendered  him  an  uncommon- 
ly instructive  and  agreeable  companion.  In  his  person 
and  manners,  he  exhibited  a  due  proportion  of  simplici- 
ty and  neatness,  dignity  and  familiarity,  candour  and  af- 
fection. In  all  his  walk  through  life,  with  the  polite- 
ness and  aflfability  of  the  man  of  literature  and  the  gen- 
tleman, he  mingled  that  purity  of  conversation,  and  that 
savour  of  piety,  which  ought  always  to  characterize 
and  adorn  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ.  Hospitality  al- 
ways enlarged  his  heart  and  presided  at  his  board.  He 
courted  the  society  of  the  pious,  intelligent  and  honour- 
able, of  every  denomination,  of  all  ranks,  and  from  eve- 
ry quarter.     He  possessed  a  peculiar  faculty  for  adapt- 


JOSEPH  CLARK,  D.D.  227 

ing  his  conversation  and  manners  to  all  kinds  of  compa- 
ny, plain  or  polished,  and  for  making  persons  of  every 
description  easy  and  comfortable  in  his  presence  and  in 
his  family. 

His  attention  to  business,  and  his  exertions  to  promote 
science,  morals  and  religion,  continued  with  great  uni- 
formity, until  his  exemplary  and  useful  life  came  to  a 
close.  This  event  took  place  late  in  the  evening  ol  the 
third  Tuesday  in  October,  A.  D.  1813,  while  the  Synod 
of  New  York  and  New-Jersey  were  attending  their  an- 
nual meeting.  Although  his  constitution  was  very  fee- 
ble at  best,  and  his  general  state  of  health  considerably 
reduced,  his  death  was  very  sudden  and  unexpected. 
He  appeared  through  the  day  and  evening  preceding  his 
decease,  to  have  been  gradually  recovering  from  some 
increase  of  indisposition,  of  which  he  had  before  com- 
plained, and  had  just  retired  to  rest,  under  an  expecta- 
tion of  setting  off  early  next  morning  to  meet  the  Synod 
at  New- York ;  when  Mrs,  Clark,  whose  attention  was 
drawn  that  %vay  by  something  unusual,  on  approaching 
the  bed  side,  found  him  just  expiring.  Medical  aid  was 
called  in  with  all  possible  speed,  but  it  came  too  late  to 
avail.  The  appointed  time  and  circumstances  of  his 
dissolution  had  arrived.  Violent  spasms  had  stopped 
the  motion  of  his  vital  powers.  Instead  of  the  contem- 
plated meeting  with  his  brethren,  in  the  Synod  of  New- 
York  and  New- Jersey,  we  trust  he  was  delightfully  sur- 
prised, by  a  call  from  his  Master,  "  to  the  General  As- 
sembly and  Church  of  the  first  born  in  heaven." 


NOTE  F. 

SKETCH  OF  REV.  SAMUEL  KENNEDY. 


Previous  to  the  long'  and  unhappy  vacancy  which  pre- 
ceded Mr.  FInley*s  settlement  at  Basking  Ridge,  that 
congregadon  was  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Kennedy,  a  minister  of  the  gospel  highly  distin- 
guished for  learning,  eloquence  and  piety.  He  was 
born  in  Scotland,  A.  D.  1720;  and  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  University  of  Edinburgh.  What  circum- 
stances, under  divine  Providence,  induced  him  thus  ear- 
ly in  life,  and  without  a  profession,  to  emigrate  to  this 
country,  cannot  now  be  satisfactorily  determined.  The 
minutes  of  the  Presbytery  of  New-Brunswick,  relating 
to  Mr.  Kennedy,  establish  the  fact,  that  he  engaged  in 
study  for  this  sacred  office,  by  their  advice.  It  is  proba- 
ble they  were  led  to  this  measure,  by  a  discovery  of 
some  marks  of  piety  and  genius  in  him,  promising  use- 
fulness and  eminence  in  the  church. 

Oti  the  sixth  of  December,  1749,  he  was  received  un- 
der the  care  of  the  Presbytery  of  New-Brunswick,  on 
trials  for  the  sacred  ministry.  He  was  licensed  to 
prea  h  the  gospel,  on  the  eighteenth  of  May,  1750.  On 
the  twenty-fifth  of  June,  17!)\,  he  was  solemnly  ordain- 
ed to  the  service  of  G  d  in  his  holy  ministry,  and  at  the 
same  time  installed  pastor  of  tho  congregation  of  Basking 
Ridge. 


•23©  SKETCH  OF 

His  intellectual  powers  being  naturally  strong  ;  bis  ed- 
ucation thorough  ;  his  piety  sincere  and  fervent ;  and  his 
attention  devoted  to  retirement  and  study,  so  far  as  was 
consistent  with  his  active  duties  and  ardent  temperament : 
he  accumulated  knowledge  rapidly,  became  profound 
in  his  profession,  conciliated  esteem  and  inspired  re- 
spect among  all  ranks  in  society.  And  it  is  not  surpri- 
sing, w^ith  such  powers,  attainments  and  dispoeitions, 
that  he  acquired  extensive  influence  in  the  church,  and 
rendered  himself  highly  interesting  and  respectable^^ 
in  the  pious  circle,  in  the  ecclesiastical  judicatory, 
and  in  the  sacred  desk. 

Mr.  Kennedy  devoted  a  considerable  proportion  of 
his  time,  at  one  period,  to  the  instruction  and  m.anage- 
ment  of  a  Latin  school  established  at  Basking  Ridge. 
Seminaries  of  this  kind  were  not  numerous  at  that  time. 
His  ability  as  a  scholar,  and  his  eneri-y  as  a  disciplinari- 
an, rendered  this  business  both  easy  and  pleasant  to  him. 
His  school  furnished  many  respectable  students  for  the 
college  of  New-Jersey.  And  several  gentlemen  who 
received  the  elements  of  their  education  under  his  care, 
are  still  living  in  respectability  and  usefulness. 

The  labours  of  Mr.  Kennedy  among  the  people  of  his 
charge,  were  very  extensive  and  successful.  Several 
glorious  awakenings  and  revivals  were  experienced 
there  in  succession,  producing  abundant  and  precious 
in-gatherings  of  souls  to  Jesus,  and  additions  to  that 

*  A  very  distinguished  clergyman,  of  the  city  of  New  York,  while  residing  in 
the  congregation  of  Laniingon,  to  which  phce  he  retired  for  a  short  time  during 
the  American  revolution,  became  well  acquainted  with  the  Rev  Mi.  Kennedy, 
and  in  conversation  with  an  intelligent  and  pious  Udy,  observed,  "  that  he  had 
before  heard  much  of  Mr.  Kennedy'?  I  nov^ledce  and  exce'lence,  but  that  he 
could  say  as  the  Queen  of  Sheba  did  of  Solomon,  not  half  nas  told  him.''* 


REV.    SAMUEL    KENNEDY.  231 

church,  of  such  as  the  fervent  pastor  hoped  would  be 
saved,  and  appear  ^5  seals  of  his  ministry  and  crowns  of 
his  rejoicing  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 

Mr.  Kennedy  was  a  remarkably  evangelic  preacher. 
He  made  the  doctrines  of  grare  and  salvation  through 
Jesus  the  constant  theme  of  his  pulpit  discourses,  and  ve- 
ry often  too  the  subject  of  private  and  familiar  conver- 
sation with  friends  and  neighbours.  In  all  his  public 
transactions  he  appeared  as  the  decided  friend  of  vital 
piety ;  and  he  was  considered  as  one  of  the  most  evan- 
gelic men  in  the  church. 

The  Scotch  and  Irish  clergy,  in  general,  who  were 
quite  numerous  in  the  presbyterian  church  from  its  es- 
tablishment in  the  United  States,  elevated  by  a  con- 
sciousness of  the  superiority  they  derived  from  their  reg- 
ular and  scientific  education  in  the  universities  of  their 
native  country,  were  inclined  to  place  too  high  an  esti- 
mate on  talents  and  learning  as  qualification  for  the  sa- 
cred ministry,  and  in  proportion  to  undervalue  and  neg- 
lect experimental  religion  and  personal  piety.  In  ex- 
amining candidates  for  the  holy  office,  they  insisted 
more  on  academic  learning,  than  upon  practical  godli- 
ness. The  clerical  emigrants  from  the  southern  part  of 
Great  Britain  and  those  of  New-England,  differed  dia- 
metrically and  warmly  from  them  in  regard  to  these  im- 
portant matters.  Hence  the  whole  presbyterian  church 
became  divided  on  this  subject  and  others,  of  a  similar 
nature,  into  two  great  parties.  The  former  were  de- 
nominated the  old  side — the  latter  the  neiv  side.  The 
former  entertained  such  sentiments  and  views  respecting 
qualifications  for  the  ministry  as  are  here  ascribed  to 
them  : — the  latter  ran  into  the  opposite  but  less  danger- 
ous extreme,  that  of  setting  a  comparatively  low  value 


232  SKETCH  UK 

on  human  science,  while  they  insisted  on  tiie  right  and 
propriety  of  examining  candidates  for  the  holy  ministry, 
in  regard  to  personal  piety,  before  receiving  them  on 
trials,  and  considered  satisfactory  evidence  of  a  gra- 
cious change  in  them,  indispensably  necessary.  This 
division  had  been  long  in  existence.  The  opposed  par- 
ties had  been  maturing  and  occasionally  trying  their 
strength  and  the  contest  progressing,  many  years  before 
Mr.  Kennedy  reached  his  meridian.  Although  a  small 
proportion  of  the  Scotch  and  Irish,  and  not  many  of 
their  descendants,  appear  to  have  deviated  from  the 
views  of  the  old  side  party,  and  although  Mr.  Kennedy 
stood  conspicuous  among  his  countrymen  in  every  hu- 
man accomplishment,  the  evangelic  power  of  his  piety 
and  the  judicious  independence  of  his  mind  prompted 
him  to  espouse  the  new  side  and  to  enlist  himself  under 
the  standard  of  pure  vital  piety,  in  opposition  to  his  feel- 
ings of  national  attachment  and  to  the  prejudice  against 
every  thing  American  which  was  then  so  clearly  per- 
ceived and  sensibly  felt. 

Mr.  Kennedy  was  one  of  the  eighteen^  ministers  who 
signed  the  celebrated  letter  to  the  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury in  behalf  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  M'Clenachan,  an  episco- 
pal clergyman  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia  ; — the  follow- 
ing amusing  account  of  which  transaction  is  extracted 
from  Dr.  Miller's  interesting  "memoirs"  of  the  Rev. 
John  Rodgers,  D.D.  published  in  New-York,  1813,  page 
105— 106— viz:— 

*  The  other  seventeen  subscribers  were — Gilbert  Tenneut,  William  Tec. 
nent,  Samuel  Davies,  John  Blair,  Charles  Tenn«'nt,  Moses  Tuttle,  Charles 
M'Knight,  Benjamin  Chesnut,  William  Ramsay,  John  Rodgers,  James  Fiiiley, 
Abraham  Keteltas,  John  Roan,  A.bner  Brush,  John  Moffat,  Alexander  Macwhor- 
ter,  and  Robert  Smith. 


REV.  SAMUEL  KENNEDY.  *  233 

''In  the  year  1760,  an  event  occurrecl,  which  made 
considerable  noise  intheecclesiasticalcircles  of  America. 
There  resided  in  Philadelphia  at  this  time,  the  Rev. 
William  M*Clenachan,  an  episcopal  clergyman,  whose 
preaching  was  considered  as  more  evangelical  than 
that  of  the  generality  of  his  brethren  of  the  same  denom- 
ination. While  this  circumstance  endeared  him  to  a 
considerable  number  of  the  episcopalians  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  rendered  them  earnestly  desirous  of  retaining 
him  as  their  minister  ;  it  excited  the  opposition  of  a  still 
greater  number,  and  threatened  to  produce  his  exclu- 
sion from  the  episcopal  church,  in  that  city.  During  a 
meeting  of  the  synod  of  Nevr-York  and  Philadelphia  in 
May,  1760,  the  character,  diificulties  and  prospects,  of 
Mr.  M'Clenachan,  happening  to  be  the  topic  of  more 
general  and  more  warm  conversation  than  usual,  a  num- 
ber of  the  membersof  the  synod  were  so  deeply  impressed 
with  the  excellence  of  his  character,  and  the  probable  use- 
fulness of  his  ministry,  and  felt  so  much  interested  in  his 
continuing  to  reside  in  Philadelphia,  that  they  determined 
to  attempt  something  in  his  behalf ;  and  accordingly  ad- 
dressed a  letter  to  the  an  hbishop  of  Canterbury,  re- 
questing him  to  exert  his  official  influence,  in  favouring 
Mr.  M'Clenachan's  wishes  and  those  of  his  friends,  that 
he  might  retain  his  place. 

"  This  indiscreet  and  undignified  interference  with  the 
affairs  of  another  denomination,  was  condemned  by  all 
impartial  persons  :  and,  indeed,  the  authors  of  the  letter 
themselves  had  scarcely  dispatched  it,  before  they  be- 
came sensible  of  the  impropriety  of  their  own  conduct, 
and  wished  it  recalled.  The  reception  which  it  met 
with  from  the  archbishop  was  such  as  might  have  been 
expected.     No  answer  was  returned :    and  the  letter 

30 


234  SKETCH     OF 

soon  found  its  way  into  the  public  prints,  accompanied 
with  such  comments  as  were  natural,  and  not  wholly  un- 
merited. When  the  synod  convened  in  Philadelphia, 
the  next  year,  they  found  this  unfortunate  letter,  fol- 
lowed with  severe  strictures,  printed  in  the  form  of  a 
pamphlet  and  circulating  very  generally  among  the  citi- 
zens, under  the  title  of  *  The  eighteen  presbyterian  min- 
isters.' And  not  unfrequently,  when  walking  the 
streets,  were  their  ears  assailed  by  the  shrill  notes  of  the 
hawkers  of  small  books  and  pamphlets,  crying,  '  eigh- 
teen pr'jsbyterian  ministers  for  a  groat.'  These  circum- 
stances afforded  a  subject  for  much  merriment,  and  se- 
vere remark,  not  only  on  the  part  oflMr.  M'Clenachan's 
episcopal  opponents,  but  also  on  the  part  of  those  mem- 
bers of  the  synod  who  were  still  denominated  old  side 
men  ;  and  who  had  declined  having  any  thing  to  do 
with  the  letter  to  the  archbishop !" 

Mr.  Kennedy  was  rather  above  the  ordinary  size  of 
men,  somewhat  corpulent  and  plethorick.  His  man- 
ners were  very  plain,  retaining  much  of  their  native 
Scotch  simplicity  and  sometimes  approaching  to  blunt- 
ness.  He  was  distinguished  by  an  easy,  copious  and 
uniform  flow  of  thought  and  expression,  on  every  sub- 
ject. His  remarks,  on  all  occasions,  were  pithy,  judi- 
cioub  and  appropriate.  He  was  a  very  modest  and  un- 
assuming man.  With  the  sacred  duties  of  the  ministry 
he  united,  for  many  years,  the  business  of  practicing  medi' 
cine  in  his  own  congregation.  His  skill  and  judgment  in 
this  profession  were  regarded  as  uncommonly  sound  and 
correct.  It  is  believed  that  he  derived  from  this  profession 
the  honourary  appellation  of  doctor,  with  which  he  was 
distinguished  irenerally  in  conversation  and  sometimes 
in  records,  many  years  before  his  decease.     There  is  no 


RET.  SAMUEL  KENNEDY.  235 

evidence  discoverable  now  that  he  received  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Divinity,  although  this  distinction  was  mer- 
ited by  his  talents,  his  piety  and  his  zeal. 

The  labours,  of  Mr.  Kennedy,  were  terminated  by 
death  on  the  31st  day  of  August,  Ifsr,  which  was  the 
sixty-seventh  year  of  his  life  and  the  thirty  seventh  of 
his  ministry  at  Basking  Ridge. 

Mr.  Kennedy  deserves  to  be  considered  as  one  of  the 
pious  and  venerable  fathers  of  the  church,  in  the  Uni- 
ted States,  who  contributed  extensively  by  his  prudent 
counsels  and  faithful  labours,  to  the  promotion  of  evan- 
gelic piety  and  to  the  establishment  of  our  presbyterian 
form  of  government,  and  system  of  religious  faith  and 
practice. 


NOTE  G. 


SKETCH  OF  REV.  JAMES  CALDWELL,  &c. 


Mr.  Caldwell  was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  holy 
ministry,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1761 ;  and,  he 
was  at  the  same  time,  installed  pastor  of  the  1st  presby- 
terian  congregation  in  Elizabeth-Town,  New-Jersey. 
His  intellectual  powers,  which  were  of  a  superior  order, 
his  education  which  united  religious  strictness  with  lit- 
erary culture,  and  his  native  elevation  of  mind  combin- 
ed their  influence  to  create  in  him,  early,  a  strong  ten- 
dency to  a  virtuous,  honourable  and  useful  course  of  ac- 
tion. It  pleased  the  Giver  of  every  good  gift,  early  to 
foster  and  sanctify  these  endowments,  and  to  crown 
them  with  distinguished  honour  by  directing  them 
into  the  channel  of  his  own  sacred  service,  in  the  min- 
istry of  the  gospel.  The  qualifications  with  which  Mr. 
Caldwell  entered  on  this  high  vocation,  were  such  as  to 
adorn  the  sacred  office,  to  promote  the  interests  of  the 
church  and  to  benefit  the  souls  of  men.  Of  a  sprightly 
temper,  comely  person, — graceful  and  engaging  address 
— his  voice  clear  and  rnelodious — his  mind  well  improv- 
ed by  theological  science,  polite  literature,  and  culti- 
vated society — his  piety  highly  evangelical,  a  ive  and 
fervent — he  was  one  of  the  most  pleasing,  eminet»t  and 
useful  preachers  of  his  day.     He  was  much  beloved  by 


238  SKETCH     OF 

the  people  of  his  congregation  and  his  memory  is  still 
dear  to  a  number  of  them  who  are  now  living.  He 
was  zealous,  laborious  and  faithful  in  discharging  the 
duties  of  his  sacred  trust.  He  delighted  in  visiting  the 
people  of  his  charge,  and  was  accustomed,  to  carry  warm 
practical  piety  with  him  into  the  private  apartment  and 
the  social  circle.  In  the  small  domestic  assembly  and 
in  the  ordinary  intercourse  of  friendship,  as  well  as  in 
the  congregation  of  God's  people,  he  exhibited  peculiar 
charms.  Societies,  and  small  meetings,  for  prayer  were 
his  delight.  Accordingly,  stated  and  occasional  assem- 
blies for  these  purposes  were  numerous  in  his  congre- 
gation. His  ministry  was  pre-eminently  prospered  by 
the  great  Head  of  the  church,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
1772.  A  considerable  effusion  of  the  divine  Spirit  was 
then  experienced  in  his  congregation  ;  and  many  were 
added  to  the  church,  some  of  whom  are  yet  living  wit- 
nesses, that  this  was  truly  a  work  of  God. 

Mr.  Caldwell's  character  soon  became  extensively 
known  and  highly  appreciated,  in  the  church.  His  su- 
perior capacity  for  extemporaneous  speaking,  his  anima- 
ted, impressive  and  captivating  eloquence  in  the  pulpit, 
and  his  fervent  piety,  rendered  him  uncommonly  inter- 
esting to  every  audience,  and  excited  for  him,  high  es- 
teem, both  at  home  and  abroad.  The  character  of  his 
mind,  and  the  nature  of  his  improvements,  qualified  and 
designated  him  for  eminent  usefulness  in  various  spheres 
of  action  and  of  duty ;  and  the  circumstances  of  his  coun- 
try, in  the  revolutionary  contest  with  Great  Britain, 
soon  presented  an  opportunity  for  the  splendid  and  suc- 
cessful exercise  of  all  his  versatile  powers,  and  for  the 
trial  and  illustration  of  all  his  Christian  virtues.  In- 
dependent, prompt  and  ardent,  he  espoused  the  cause  of 


REV.  JAMES  CALDWELL.  239 

his  country  with  decision  and  warmth  ;  and  he  pursued 
her  nterests  with  a  degree  of  intrepidity  and  enterprise, 
of  zeal  a  d  perseverance,  which  would  have  honoured 
aQiTiiitian  pairiot  of  any  age. 

While  the  British  occupied  the  city  of  New- York,  the 
borough  of  Elizabeth  and  its  vicinity  were  peculiarly 
exposed  to  incursions  from  the  foe.  Hence  the  Ameri- 
cans, to  whom  the  defence  of  that  point  was  committed, 
were  compelled  to  exercise  peculiar  vigilance  and  ac- 
tivity in  all  their  movements.  Mr.  Caldwell,  from  his 
perfect  knowledge  of  the  people  and  the  place,  and 
from  his  sagacity,  alertness  and  zeal,  was  remarkably 
calculated  to  give  them  efficient  aid,  in  counsel  and  in 
action  :  and  he  rendered  them  his  services  on  all  occa- 
sions, in  a  manner  corresponding  with  his  known  patri- 
otism and  tried  courage. 

The  frequent  alarms  and  occasional  sufferings,  that 
speedily  resulted  from  the  warfare,  and  the  insecurity  of 
property  and  of  life,  attendant  upon  a  residence  at  Eli- 
zabeth-Town, induced  Mr.  Caldwell  to  move  his  family 
a  short  distance  into  the  interior  of  the  country.  He 
continued  his  pastoral  labours  with  as  much  constancy 
and  fidelity  as  the  state  of  his  congregation  and  his  own 
peculiar  circumstances  would  permit.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  continual  guard  that  was  kept,  and  the  precau- 
tionary means  that  were  employed,  a  party  of  refugees^ 
under  covert  of  night,  January  25,  1780,  destroyed 
his  church  by  fire. 

Mr.  Caldwell  had  for  some  time  discharged,  in  a  very 
acceptable  manner,  the  duties  of  chaplain,  in  the  Amer- 
ican army  stationed  near  Morris-Town,  and  performed 
voluntarily  many  other  important  services,  in  aid  of  its 
operations.     His  zealous  exertions  to  promote  the  cause 


240  SKETCH  OF 

in  defence  of  which  his  country  was  arrayed  in  arms 
against  a  powerful  foe,  his  cheerful  and  affkble  disposi- 
tion, and  his  urbanity  of  manners,  contributed  to  raise  him 
high  in  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  American  offi- 
cers and  soldiers.  His  popularity  and  influence  in  the 
army,  were  well  known  to  the  enemy,  and  rendered  him 
particularly  obnoxious  to  those  traitors  to  their  coun- 
try, who  had  abandoned  its  interests  and  joined  the  bri- 
tish  standard.  The  wanton  and  sacrilegious  destruction 
of  the  church  at  Elizabeth-Town,  was  attributed  princi- 
pally to  this  circumstance. 

Mr.  Caldwell  shared  extensively  in  the  hardships  and 
hazards  generally  experienced  ;  and  he  was  called  in 
the  year  1780,  to  encounter  a  peculiarly  afflicting  ca- 
lamity, in  the  death  of  his  excellent  wife.  This  lady 
was  the  daughter  of  John  Ogden,  Esq.  of  Newark,  New- 
Jersey.  Her  amiable  disposition,  her  piety  and  her  ex- 
emplary deportment,  had  obtained  for  her  the  very  par- 
ticular respect  and  attachment  of  all  who  knew  her. 
Her  life  had  evinced  that  she  was  worthy  of  the  sphere 
in  which  she  had  moved,,  and  prepared  for  the  event 
which  now  prematurely  befel  her.  She  was  the  mother 
of  nine  children,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  sixteen  years 
old^  and  the  youngest  was  an  infant.  Notwithstanding 
these  circumstances,  on  several  occasions,  when  alarms 
of  the  enemy's  approach  had  been  made,  Mrs.  Caldwell 
had  been  induced  to  retire  from  her  residence  at  Con- 
necticut Farms,  for  greater  security,  higher  up  into  the 
country.  Having  found  these  retreats  very  difficult  and 
troublesome,  and,  for  the  most  part  causeless,  she  de- 
termined to  cast  herself  in  future  on  the  clemency  and 
magnanimity  of  the  foe,  and  on  the  care  of  her  cove- 
nant-keeping God. 


REV.  JAMES  CALDWELL.  241 

On  the  sixth  of  June,  1780,  General  Knyphaiisen  came 
over  from  Staten  Island,  with  about  five  thousand  men, 
and  landed  in  the  night,  at  Elizabeth-Town  Point.  Ve- 
ry early  next  morning  they  directed  their  march  to- 
wards Springfield,  through  the  settlement  of  Connecti- 
cut Farms.  Although  Mrs.  Caldwell  was  apprised  of 
their  approach  in  season  to  escape,  her  mind  was  made 
up  on  this  subject,  and  she  resolved,  in  liumble  reliance 
on  Divine  Providence,  to  remain  at  home.  When  the 
enemy  were  entering  the  village,  Mrs.  Caldwell  with- 
drew from  the  apartment  she  usually  occupied,  into  a 
more  retired  room,  for  the  purpose  of  devotion  as  well 
as  security,  with  her  infant  in  her  arms.  The  maid, 
Avho  had  accompanied  her  to  this  secluded  apartment, 
and  had  charge  of  the  other  small  children,  on  looldng 
out  of  a  window  into  the  back  yard,  observed  to  Mrs. 
Caldwell,  that  "  a  red  coat  soldier  had  jumped  over  the 
fence  and  was  coming  up  to  the  window,  with  a  gun." 
Her  youngest  son,  nearly  two  years  old,  playing  upon 
the  floor,  on  hearing  what  the  maid  said,  called  out, 
*Met  me  see — let  me  see  !"  and  ran  that  way.  Mrs. 
Caldwell  rose  from  sitting  on  a  bed  very  near ;  and  at 
this  moment  the  soldier  fired  his  musket  at  her  through 
the  window.  It  was  loaded  with  two  balls,  which  both 
passed  through  her  body.  The  surrounding  buildings 
and  the  house  in  which  this  deed  was  perpetrated  were 
soon  after  set  on  fire.  It  was  with  difficulty  that  the 
dead  body  of  Mrs.  Caldwell  could  be  preserved  from 
the  general  des  ruction  that  ensued.  After  it  had  lain 
some  time  exposed  in  the  open  st  eet  ard  in  the  hot 
sun,  liberty  was  obtained  to  place  her  remains  in  asmaU 
dwelling  house,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road,  whicl) 
had  survived  the  conflagration. 

31 


:242  SKETCH     OP 

The  following  night  Mr.  Caldwell  spent  at  a  place 
called  Short  IIi:h:,  not  far  from  Springfield.  He  retired 
to  rest  in  the  evening  in  a  state  of  excessive  anxiety  re- 
specting the  fate  of  his  wife  and  children.  The  parti- 
ti  >ns  of  the  house  consisted  of  boards  not  very  closely 
joined.  In  his  sleepless  state  he  overheard  two  men, 
lodging  in  an  adjoinirg  room,  talking  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  (^eath  of  Mrs.  Caldwell.  He  rose  quickly  and 
entered  their  room  in  great  agitation,  and  inquired  what 
they  had  heard  on  that  subject.  They  represented  it  as 
only  a  rumour,  and  probably  a  mistake,  and  persuaded 
him  to  return  to  his  bed.  The  remainder  of  the  night  was 
to  him  a  season  of  most  painful  suspense  and  anxiety.  In 
the  morning  iMr.  Caldwell  procured  a, flag,  and  proceed- 
ed with  all  possible  speed  to  Connecticut  Farms,  to  visit 
his  family  and  ascertain  their  state.  While  yet  at  some 
distance,  he  discovered  that  the  church  and  village  were 
in  ruins,  and  that  the  enemy  had  returned  to  Staten 
Island :  and  very  soon,  he  learned  the  truth  of  the  af- 
flicting rumour  before  received,  that  Mrs.  Caldwell  was 
no  more.  Her  friends  were  assembled  ;  and  the  funeral 
service  was  performed,  with  as  much  solemnity  and  or- 
der as  the  desolation  and  alarm  universally  prevalent 
would  permit. 

While  this  event  was  deeply  afflicting  to  Mr.  Caldwell 
and  his  numerous  friends,  it  made  a  strong  impression  on 
the  public  mind.  The  following  account  of  this  trans- 
action, is  extracted  from  MarshalVs  Life  of  Washing' 
ton,"^  and  is  introduced  to  show  the  views  of  this  distin- 
guished revolutionary  patriot  and  American  historian, 
as  well  as  of  the  public  in  general,  in  relation  to  the 
events  we  are  here  recording : — 

*  See  vol.  4,  page  225. 


REV.    JAMES  CALDWELL.  243 

"  At  the  Connecticut  Farms,  a  flourishing  settlement 
which  took  its  name  from  the  country  of  those  by  whom 
it  had  been  planted,  and  which  had  been  distinguished 
for  its  zeal  in  the  American  cause,  a  halt  was  made.  In 
a  spirit  of  revenge,  unworthy  the  general  of  an  army, 
w^hich  was  in  the  character  of  Try  on,  who  was  present, 
rather  than  ofKnyphausen  who  commanded  ;  which  serv- 
ed more  to  injure  than  advance  the  interests  of  those  in 
whose  cause  he  was  engaged  ;  and  which  tended  more 
to  irritate  than  intimidate  :  this  settlement  including  the 
meeting  house  and  the  house  of  the  clergyman  belonging 
to  the  village,  was  reduced  to  ashes." 

The  author  here  quoted  then  adds  in  a  note  : — "  This 
circumstance  would  scarcely  have  deserved  notice,  had 
it  not  been  accompanied  by  one  of  those  melancholy 
events,  which  even  war  does  not  authorize  and  which 
the  civilized  world  condemns,  and  which  made  at  the 
time  a  very  deep  impression, 

"Mrs.  Caldwell  the  vv^ife  of  the  clergyman,  who  has 
been  mentioned,  had  been  induced  to  remain  in  her 
house,  under  the  persuasion  that  her  presence  might 
serve  to  protect  it  from  pillage,  and  that  her  person 
could  not  possibly  be  endangered,  as  in  the  hope  of  pre- 
serving the  f^)rms,  Col.  Dayton,  who  at  that  i'mie 
commanded  the  militia,  determined  not  to  halt  in  the  set- 
tlement, but  to  take  post  at  a  narrow  pass  on  the  road 
leading  to  Springfield.  While  she  was  sitting  in  the 
midst  of  her  children,  having  a  such'jig  infant  in  her  arms, 
a  soldier  came  up  to  the  window  and  discharged  his 
musket  at  her.  She  received  the  ball  in  her  bosom  and 
instantly  expired. 

"  Ashamed  of  an  act  so  universally  execrated,  it  was 
contended  by  the  Briiisii,  that  this  lady  was  the  victim 


'244  SKETCH  OF 

of  a  random  shot,  and  even  that  the  fatal  ball  had  pro- 
ceeded from  the  militia:  in  proof  of  which  last  asser- 
tion, they  insisted  that  the  ball  had  entered  on  that  side 
of  the  house  which  looked  towards  the  retreating  Amer- 
icans. But  it  was  notorious  that  the  militia  made  no 
sland  at  the  Farms,  and  a  pathetic  representation  of  the 
fact  made  to  the  public  by  the  afflicted  husband,  receiv- 
ed universal  credence  and  excited  universal  indignation. 
The  death  of  Mrs.  Caldwell  might  indeed  be  considered 
as  the  act  ol  a  single  soldier,  and  therefore  not  of  itself 
involving  the  reputution  of  the  array  ;  but  when  with  it 
was  connected,  the  wanton  and  useless  devastation  com- 
mitted by  authority,  these  act-,  formed  one  connected 
w  hole  in  the  public  mind,  and  served  still  more  to  con- 
firm the  settled  hate  of  the  well  affected,  against  the 
British  government." 

In  this  season  of  public  alarm,  private  suffering,  and 
universal  confusion,  Mr.  Caldwell,  after  putting  his  do- 
mestic affairs  in  the  most  favourable  situation  practica- 
ble under  existing  circumstances,  returned  to  his  impor- 
tant avocations.  His  activity  and  zeal  in  the  discharge 
of  his  various  duties  were  not  diminished,  and  the  indig- 
nation and  abhorrence  of  the  public,  were  greatly  in- 
creased by  this  recent  outrage  of  violence  and  rapacity. 

In  less  than  eighteen  months  after  the  tragic  act  which 
deprived  Mr.  Caldwell  of  his  inestimable  wife,  he  was 
himself  brought  to  an  untimely  grave  by  a  similar  deed 
of  horror,  which  appeared  to  be  instigated  by  the  most 
savage  malevolence,  and  was  perpetrated  by  the  hand 
of  a  ruffi  in  traitor  to  his  country,  who  attempted  to  shel- 
ter himself  under  the  protection  of  a  British  flag  of  truce. 

This  event  took  place  on  the  24th  of  November  ITSI. 
The  following  account  of  the  circumstances  is  extracted 


RJEV.  JAMES  CALDWELL.  246 

from  the  "New-Jersey  Gazette,"  a  respectable  paper 
printed  at  the  period  here  referred  to,  and  oI)lip^iLii,'ly 
furnished  to  the  writer  by  the  Hon.  Joseph  Bioomfield, 
dated    Wednesday,  December  12,  ITSI. 

"  Mr.  Caldwell  having;  been  informed  that  a  young  la- 
dy had  arrived  at  Elizabeth-Tow n  Point,  in  a  flagof  truce 
from  New-York,  who  had  permission  to  come  within  our 
lines  and  who  is  the  daughter  of  a  lady  who  has  distin- 
guished hersf^lf  by  her  great  humanity,  tenderness  and 
generosity  to  the  American  prisoners  in  Nevv^-York,  and 
considering  himself  bound  by  his  duty  as  a  citizen  to 
render  every  possible  service  to  the  family  of  so  worthy 
a  character,  went  down  to  the  Point,  with  an  intention 
of  waiting  on  the  lady  up  to  town  :  when  he  arrived 
there,  the  officer  then  commanding  the  post  at  Eliza- 
beth-Town, being  on  board  the  flag  sloop,  asked  him 
>vhether  he  would  go  on  board. — He  then  stepped  on 
board  the  sloop  and  was  informed  that  the  young  lady 
had  already  gone  to  the  town.  Being  about  to  return, 
a  person  in  the  sloop  asked  him  whether  he  would  take 
a  small  parcel  tied  up  in  a  handkerchief.  Mr.  Caldwell 
consented  to  take  it,  went  on  shore,  put  the  bundle  into 
a  chair-box  and  was  driving  off,  when  a  soldier  stepped 
up  to  him  and  said  "  I  must  search  your  chair  to  see 
whether  you  have  any  seizable  goods  in  that  bundle." 
Mr.  Caldwell,  then  seeing  it  would  be  imprudent  to  run 
any  further  risk,  asked  the  officer  whether  he  would 
suffer  him  to  return  the  bundle  to  the  sloop.  To  this 
request  the  soldier  readily  agreeing,  Mr.  Caldwell  took 
the  bundle  out  of  the  chair-box  and  was  steppijig  oq 
board  of  the  sloop  to  return  it,  when  the  murderer  vv  ho 
was  on  the  quarter-deck  and  within  about  ten  yards  of 
him,  said  damn  i/ou,  slop,     Mr.  Caldwell  instantly  stop- 


246  SKETCH  OF 

pedand  immediately  on  his  stopping,  the  soldier  present- 
ed his  musket  and  shot  him  : — he  tell  down  and  instant- 
ly expired  without  a  groan.  His  funeral  was  attended 
the  Tuesday  following  by  a  large  concourse  of  people, 
when  a  funeral  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
M'Whorter,  from  Ecclesiastes  viii.  and  8th. 

"  Mr.  Caldwell  was  a  man  of  very  superior  talents, 
whether  considered  as  a  preacher,  a  statesman,  or  a  citi- 
zen. He  was  one  of  the  first  who  embarked  in  the  cause 
of  his  country,  in  which  he  has  ever  discovered  a  mind 
incapable  of  being  intoxicated  with  partial  successes,  or 
meanly  depressed  by  the  clouds  of  adversity.  His  zeal, 
activity  and  unshaken  integrity  under  every  circum- 
stance of  the  present  revolution,  are  deeply  imprinted 
on  the  minds  of  his  countrymen.  As  a  preacher  of  the 
gospel  he  was  excelled  by  very  few  of  the  present  age: 
his  oratory  was  natural  and  pleasing  and  exceedingly 
persuasive.  He  was  a  diligent  and  faithful  minister  of 
Jesus  Christ,  to  which  the  reformed  lives  and  conversa- 
tions of  a  large  part  of  his  numerous  congregation  bear 
an  unequivocal  testimony. 

"  He  has  left  a  most  destitute  and  helpless  family,  con- 
sisting of  nine  children,  the  eldest  about  seventeen  years 
of  age,  and  the  youngest  not  exceeding  two,  to  experi- 
ence the  humanity  and  benevolence  of  those  tender  and 
sympathetic  minds,  who  are  not  above  the  feelings  of 
another's  woe.  Though  Mr.  Caldwell  has  been  almost 
constantly  engaged  in  public  departments  since  the  pres- 
ent war,  which  have  been  the  source  of  riches  and  afflu- 
ence to  many  others,  yet  such  was  his  uprightness  and 
love  of  his  country,  that  his  rising  family,  are  now  left 
to  deplore  the  want  of  a  bare  subsistence,  but  from  the 
srenerositv  of  those  who  knew  their  father's  virtues. 


REV.  JAMES  CALDWELL.  247 

We  may  justly  conclude  with  lamenting,-  our  country's 
loss,  a  loss  to  mankind — to  human  nature." 

The  utmost  consternation  and  horror  seized  all  who 
were  present,  at  the  sudden  and  tragical  death  of  Mr. 
Caldwell.  The  perpetrator  of  the  shocking  deed,  was 
for  some  time  forgotten.  Mr.  Caldwell's  body,  lifeless 
and  drenched  in  blood,  was  taken  up  and  carried  to  a 
public  house  not  far  distant.  After  the  tumult  at  first 
excited,  had  in  some  measure  subsided,  means  were 
employed  to  secure  the  murderer,  whose  name  was 
Morgan.  He  was  pursued,  speedily  overtaken,  and 
committed  to  prison.  In  the  course  of  his  trial  after- 
wards, it  became  manifest  that  the  murder  was  premedi- 
tated, and  produced  in  part  probably  by  something  more 
than  individual  enmity.  Morgan  was  condemned  to 
death ;  and  at  the  time  of  his  execution,  he  manifested 
an  awfully  corrupt  and  obdurate  heart.  On  being  in- 
formed, when  led  out  to  be  executed,  that  his  time  was 
come,  and  that  if  he  had  any  thing  to  say,  he  must  say 
it  quickly;  he  replied,  "  You  will  all  soon  come  to  this. 
Here,  give  this  blanket,"  presenting  it  to  the  execution- 
er, *'to  my  wife.  Now  do  your  duty,  and  don't  keep 
me  here  suffering  in  the  cold." 

The  remains  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Caldwell  were  deposit- 
ed in  the  presbyterian  church  yard,  at  Elizabeth-l'own  ; 
and  on  the  marble  slab  which  covers  them,  is  the  fol- 
lowing honourable  inscription : — 

"  Sacred  to  the  memory  of  the  Rev.  James  Caldwell 
and  Hannah  his  wife,  who  fell  victims  to  their  country's 
cause,  in  the  years  1780  and  1781. 

"  He  was  the  zealous  and  faithful  Pastor  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Congregation  in  this  town,  where,  by  his  evan- 
gelical labours  in  the  gospel  vineyard,  and  his  early 


24i>  SKETCH  OF 

attachment  to  the  civil  h'berties  of  his  country,  he  has 
left  on  the  hearts  of  his  people  a  better  moiiuQient  than 
brass  or  marble. 

"  Stop,  Passenger  ! 

**  Here  also  lie  the  remains  of  a  woman,  who  exhibit- 
ed to  the  world  a  bright  constellation  of  the  female  vir- 
tues. On  that  memorable  day,  never  to  be  forgotten, 
when  a  British  {oe  invaded  this  fair  village,  and  fired 
even  the  temple  of  the  Deity,  this  peaceful  daughter  of 
heaven,  retired  to  her  hallowed  apartment,  imploring 
Heaven  for  the  pardon  of  her  enemies.  In  that  sacred 
retreat  she  was  by  the  bloody  hand  of  a  British  ruffian 
dispatched,  like  her  divine  Redeemer,  through  a  path 
of  blood,  to  her  long  wished  for  native  skies." 

By  the  untimely  and  lamerjuible  death  of  Mr.  Cald- 
well and  his  wife,  their  numerous  and  interesting  chil- 
dren were  cast  upon  the  affection  of  their  friends  and 
upon  the  providence  of  God.  The  condition  of  the 
country,  the  agitated  state  of  public  affairs,  rendered 
their  loss  incomparably  greater,  and  the  care  of  them 
proportionably  more  difficult.  In  Mr.  Caldwell's  zeal 
for  the  public  welfare  he  had  neglected  his  private  inter- 
ests. His  property  in  a  great  measure,  as  well  as  his 
life,  he  had  sacrificed  to  the  good  of  his  country.  Nev- 
er was  public  sympathy  manifested  towards  a  bereaved 
and  afflicted  household,  more  strikingly  and  affectingly 
than  on  this  o(  casion.  The  tidings  of  Mr.  Caldwell's 
death,  and  the  mournful  tale  of  his  children's  orphanage 
and  helplessness,  pervaded  the  whole  land,  inspiring 
deep  sorrow  and  tender  concern  in  every  bos-m.  In 
the  central  regions  of  the  country  more  especially,  this 
subject  shed  a  gloom  over  every  social  company,  and 
was  long  the  melancholy  theme  of  common  conversa- 


REV.  JAMES  CALDWELL.  249 

tion.  The  Heavenly  Father  mingled  his  counsels  and 
his  care  with  the  sensibilities  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try and  with  the  weeping  anxieties  of  friends  and  kin- 
dred. His  wisdom  and  goodness  were  peculiarly  mani- 
fested towards  this  interesting  group  of  orphans,  in  rais- 
ing up  for  them  atfectionate  and  judicious  friends,  dis- 
posed to  train  them  with  parental  fondness  and  fidel- 
ity, to  knowledge  and  piety,  honour  and  usefulness. 
Among  their  principal  benefactors  may  be  enumerated 
the  Hon.  Ellas  Boudinot,  L.  L.  D.  the  Marquis  de  La 
Fayette  and  General  Lincoln.  General  Washington, 
the  illustrious  father  of  his  country,  transferred  his  re- 
gard and  kindness  for  his  martyred  friend,  Mr.  Cald- 
well, to  his  fatherless  children.  The  Father  of  the  fa- 
therless, by  his  merciful  interposition  and  care,  remark- 
ably fulfilled  to  those  bereaved  children  the  words  of 
his  promise,  by  the  mouth  of  his  servant  David,  "  Vv'hen 
my  father  and  my  mother  forsake  me,  then  the  Lord 
shall  take  me  up."  That  distinguished  friend  of  human- 
ity, who  stands  as  the  first  of  the  earthly  benefactors  of 
this  afflicted  family,  was  the  principal  instrument  em- 
ployed in  divine  providence,  to  accomplish  this  desira- 
ble and  happy  purpose.  Dr.  Boudinot  voluntarily  as- 
sumed the  care  of  these  children,  and  discharged  the 
important  trust  with  a  parental  faithfulness  and  constan- 
cy. Divine  wisdom  seemed  to  direct  his  ways,  and  the 
divine  blessing  to  rest  upon  his  measures.  With  his  ju- 
dicious management,  and  under  the  care  of  the  great 
heavenly  Parent,  their  lives  were  preserved,  their  minds 
were  well  improved,  their  patrimony  was  j'Carly  ex- 
tending, and  their  prospects  brightening  before  them. 
Nor  have  the  hopes  which  soon  began  to  be  cherished, 
and  the  pleasing  anticipations  wiiich  were  formed  re- 

32  -• 


250  SKETCH  OF 

specting  their  ultimate  success  in  life  proved  delusive. 
God  remembered  his  promise ;  he  regai  ded  the  laith 
and  the  prayers  of  his  servant  and  handmaid  The 
counsel  and  the  care  of  anxious  and  devoted  friends,  of- 
ten prove  weak  and  inefficient  in  the  government  and 
disposal  of  children.  And  how  often  do  the  prospects 
of  fortune  and  the  possession  of  wealth  and  splendour, 
become  injurious  or  destructive!  But  the  Lord  God  is 
a  friend,  a  helper  and  a  solace  indeed,  to  all  who  cast 
their  care  upon  him  ;  for  he  carethfor  them. 


NOTE  il. 


A  VIEW  OF  REVIVALS. 


The  moral  government  of  God,  is  in  itself  stupendous 
and  unsearchable.  The  glorious  Monarch  of  this  great 
invisible  system,  performs  all  things  according  to  his  eter- 
nal counsel  and  sovereign  pleasure.  The  purchase  and 
establishment  of  a  church  upon  earth,  the  calling  and 
sanctification  of  those  predestinated  to  be  the  sons  of 
God,  and  the  dispensation  of  grace  to  a  lost  worldy 
through  the  mediation  of  Jesus  Christ,  are  exalted  and 
mysterious  subjects,  which  inspire  in  the  believer's 
heart,  mingled  emotions  of  anxiety  and  hope.  These 
mysteries,  inscrutable  to  mortals,  God  has  mercifully 
deigned,  in  some  measure,  to  develop.  The  grand  and 
interesting  outlines  of  his  kingdom,  its  end,  its  laws,  its 
officers,  its  subjects,  its  rewards  and  penalties,  and  the 
means  of  promoting  it,  he  has  portrayed  in  his  blessed 
word.  So  that  when  the  church,  either  in  reviewing 
the  past,  with  triumph  exclaims,  "  Now  is  come  salva- 
tion and  strength  and  the  kingdom  of  our  God:"*  or, 
contemplating  the  future,  in  obedience  to  her  Lord,  sup- 
plicates, "  Thy  kingdom  come ;"  she  recognizes  with 
confidence  the  whole  instrumental  system,  by  which  the 
spiritual  kingdom  of  God,  the  dominion  of  grace  in  the 

^  Rev.  X.  12.  ij» 


'2.r2  A  VIEW  OF 

heart,  is  advanced ;  she  assigns  to  human  agency,  au- 
thorized and  employed  by  the  King  of  Zion  in  this  great 
work,  the  influence  and  the  respect  it  deserves :  but  she 
bestows  her  highest  praises  and  benedictions  upon  that 
spiritual  Divine  Ageni,  sent  from  above,  who  "quick- 
ens whom  he  will ;"  from  whose  almighty  co-operation 
exclusively,  all  subordinate  means  derive  their  efficacy. 
For  "  it  is  not  of  him  that  willeth,  nor  of  him  that  run- 
neth, but  of  God  that  showeth  mercy. "^ 

The  infinite  God,  in  conducting  his  gracious  and  tri= 
umphant  march  through  this  world,  has  proceeded  with 
an  unsteady  progress.  The  interests  of  his  church  are 
advanced,  sometimes*  in  so  silent,  gradual  and  hidden  a 
manner,  by  the  invisible  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
upon  ihe  hearts  of  men,  that  it  may  be  said  indeed,  "  The 
kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with  observation. "f  This 
is  the  method  in  which  God  usually  promotes  his  own 
cause.  When  he  proceeds  in  this  way,  the  operations 
of  his  Spirit,  and  the  progress  of  divine  truth,  are  deep 
and  radical,  but  tranquil  and  unseen  :  the  heart  is  im- 
pressed and  changed,  but  externally  all  remains  calm 
and  uniform:  inquirers  for  salvation  are  guided  by  the 
Spirit  to  Jesus  Christ,  free  from  those  strong  excitements 
and  violent  emotions,  which  produce  visible  agitation : 
and  believers  are  enabled  to  walk  '^in  the  fear  of  the 
Lord  and  in  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  To  this 
state  of  the  church,  may  be  applied  such  expressions  of 
the  inspired  writers  as  these  ;  "day  of  small  things,"J 
and  "still  small  voice. "§ 

There  are  seasons,  however,  when  God  is  pleased  to 
depart  from  his  usual  method  of  carrying  on  his  sacred 

*  Rom.  ix.  iC.         f  Lukp  xvii.  20.         t  ^ec,  iv.  10.         ^  \  Kings  x5x,  12. 


REVIVALS.  253 

work  :  when  he  renders  ordinary  means  more  than  usu- 
ally powerful  and  efTectual,  in  rousing  human  attention 
to  divine  things:  when  the  Holy  Spirit  acts  upon  the 
hearts  of  siuners  with  increased  energy,  convincing  them 
of  sin,  of  righteousness  and  of  judgment  to  come:  when 
sudden,  powerful  and  extensive  awakenings  take  place 
in  assemblies  and  communities:  when,  perhaps,  from  a 
combination  of  causes,  deep  excitements  are  produced 
in  a  considerable  number  of  persons  at  the  same  time, 
whose  hearts  are  painfully  agitated  by  strung  conflicting 
passions,  and  whose  countenances  and  external  appear- 
ances exhibit  aflfecting  evidence  of  internal  tumult 
and  alarm.  These  seasons  in  the  church,  have  been 
denominated  variously :  by  some,  a  day  of  divine  ^o/i'- 
er;^^  an  out-poiiring  of  the  Spirit  :\  by  others,  a  time  of 
refreshing,'^  and  a  revival. 

This  last  mode  of  expression,  as  well  as  those  prece- 
ding, has  its  foundation  in  several  passages  of  God's  Ho- 
ly Word;  and  it  has  become  more  prevalent  in  popular 
use  than  any  other.  The  term  revival,  is  drawn  directly 
from  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  and  by  recurring  to  them, 
its  just  import  may  be  easily  ascertained.  In  the  Sacred 
Writings  it  possesses  two  meanings. 

1.  To  bring  to  life  that  which  is  in  a  dead  or  lifeless 
state. 

The  most  clear  instance  of  its  application  according 
to  this  signification,  is  contained  in  Hosea,  chapter  vi. 
verse  2. — "After  two  days  will  he  revive  us."     The 

*  In  reference  to  Psalm  ex.  3.  . 

f  In  reference  to  Isa.  xliv,  3.     Joel  ii.  28.     Zee,  xli.  10. 

4  Deriving  this  appellation  from  Act.s  jii.  in. 


254  A  VIEW  OF 

meaning'  of  the  original  word  is,  vivificabit  nos,  i.  e, 
"  will  revive  us."^  On  this  passage,  the  pious  and  ju- 
dicious Scott  observes,  "that  the  nation  of  Israel,  was 
as  it  were  dead,"  in  their  seventy  years  captivity,  "but 
after  two  days,  that  is,  on  the  third  day,  the  Lord  would 
revive  them,  and  they  would  live  in  his  sight,  as  his  peo- 
ple, upon  their  return  from  the  Babylonish  captivity,  af- 
ter the  appointed  time  of  its  continuance.  The  lan- 
guage is  generally  supposed  to  be  prophetic  of  the  res- 
urrection of  Christ  on  the  third  day,  with  whom  as  her 
surety  the  whole  church,  virtually,  arose  from  the  dead, 
to  live  unto  God :  with  him  the  hopes  of  all  believers 
revived  :  his  power  as  risen  quickens  their  souls,  when 
dead  in  sin  :  and  his  resurrection  was  the  earnest  of  the 
resurrection  of  their  bodies  unto  everlasting  life." 

2.  To  preserve  and  invigorate  the  principle  of  life 
already  existing — to  quicken  and  vivify  the  principle  of 
grace,  or  spiritual  life,  in  the  believer's  heart — the  se- 
cond sense  of  the  term  revive,  is  very  common  in  the  Di- 
vine Word.  Such  is  its  undisputed  meaning,  where  it 
is  employed  by  Kzra,  ix.  9. — "  Our  God  hath  not  forsa- 
ken us  in  our  bondage,  but  hath  extended  mercy  unto 
us  in  the  sight  of  the  kings  of  Persia,  to  give  us  ^reviv- 
ing, to  set  up  the  house  of  our  God,  and  to  repair  its  des- 
olations." The  same  signification  is  uniformly  attrib- 
uted to  this  word,  where  it  is  so  devoutly  used  by  the 
Psalmist:  "Wilt  thou  not  revive  us  again?"  Ixxxv.  6. 

*  This  passage  is  explained  thus,  by  Vatublus,  a  learned  coinsaentator :  *' Per 
Christura  restituet  vitam  nobis,  qui  morlui  eramus,  per  peccatum  "  Castalio, 
Drusius,  Clariiis  and  Groliiis,  all  coincide  with  V^atabliis  in  his  translation  and 
comment.  Vide  annotata,  ad  Ospen,  Vatabli,  etc.  Critici  Sacri.  For  au  ac- 
count of  this  race  and  valuable  work,  see  preface  to  Dr.  Adam  Clarke's  Commen- 
tary-. 


REVIVALS.  255 

*<  Quicken  us,  and  we  will  call  upon  thy  name  :"  Ixxx. 
18.  "Though  r  walk  in  the  midst  of  trt)uhles,  thou 
wilt  revive  me:''^  cxxxviii.  7.  The  following:  passage 
is  beautifully  illustrative  of  the  point  before  us  :  "  Thus 
saith  the  High  and  lofty  one,  I  dwell  with  hin^  aiso 
that  is  of  a  contrite  and  humble  spirit,  to  revive  the 
spirit  of  the  humble,  and  to  revive-\  the  heart  of  the  eon- 
trite  ones."J  That  the  prophet  here  refers  to  the  sin- 
cere and  faithful  servants  of  God,  no  one  will  contro- 
vert. The  petition  of  Habakkuk,  "O  LotA,  revivef^  thy 
work  in  the  midst  of  the  years,"  iii.  2,  requires  a  similar 
translation. 

That,  therefore,  is  a  revival,  in  the  true  scriptural 
sense  of  this  terra,  in  which  God  is  pleased  to  impart  to 
his  church,  or  to  any  number  of  his  people,  however  lo- 
cally situated,  greater  than  ordinary  degrees  of  gracious 
influence,  stronger  exciten>ents  of  his  Holy  Spirit  than 
usual ;  by  which  the  children  of  God  are  animated  and 

*  The  same  learned  hiblical  expositor  before  referred  to.  gives  the  sense  of 
revive  in  this  pas«!ag;e,  as  follows  :  '•  ViviBcahis  me,  vel,  servabis  me  iacolumem." 
Thou  wilt  quicken,  vivifj  me,  or  preserve  me  safe.  Drnsius  atrr^es  with  Vata- 
blus,  and  renders  the  same  in  Greek,  "  Perisooseis  me  j"  in  Latin,  "  Servabis 
me."    Crit.  Sac,  in  loc, 

f  Forerius  gives  the  su'^stance  of  thi«  text,  in  the  following  plain  theological 
Latin  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Crit  Sac  in  hocloco.  "  Sensus  est,  ille,  qui 
cum  sit  excelsus.  et  supra  omnia  et  aeternus,  et  cujus  nomen  est  sanctum,  et,  juxta 
naturam  suam,  excelsum,  quoque  locum  inhabitat  et  sanctum,  ille.  inqnam,  qui 
cum  '.alis  sit,  cum  contrito  tamen,  seu  contu.^io,  et  qui  est  humilis  spiritu,  cohabitat, 
ut  ejus  cor  e*  spiritumvivificet,  recreet,  et  consoletur." 

X  Isaiah  Ivii  15. 

§  In  the  margin  of  some  Bibles,  this  is  judiciously  expressed  by  the  words  pre 
HTvt  alive. 


256  A  VIEW  OF 

comforted  in  their  pious  duty,  experience  an  Increase  of 
interest,  zeal  and  st:ibility  in  the  service  and  hope  of  the 
gospel,  feel  their  pious  affections  gently  moved  and 
drawn  out  towards  God,  and  their  whole  disposition  and 
frame  of  mind  rendered  more  spiritual,  devout  and  hea- 
venly. The  soul  in  which  these  operations  take  place, 
experiences  "a  time  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of 
the  Lord  :"^  and  that  church,  or  company  of  Christians, 
who  feel  these  gentle  movements  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
producing  such  blessed  fruits,  enjoys  a  season  of  revival 
in  religion,  whatever  may  be  the  state  of  moral  feeling 
and  conduct  around  them  in  the  world.  Numerous  and 
precious  are  the  visits  of  this  kind,  which  the  children 
and  churches  of  God  receive  from  the  blessed  Saviour 
and  his  Holy  Spirit.  Indeed  without  them,  every  pious 
grace  must  dwindle  and  die.  What  is  the  spiritual  life 
of  believers  on  earth,  but  a  series  of  declensions  and  re- 
vivals, through  all  its  progress?  <*  Awake,  O  north 
wind,  and  come  thou  south :  blow  upon  my  garden, 
that  the  spices  thereof  may  flow  out.  Let  my  beloved 
come  into  his  garden  and  eat  his  pleasant  fruits" !  !  Can- 
ticles iv.  16. 

Instances  sometimes  occur,  in  which  many  sinners  are 
deeply  impressed  v/ith  a  solemn  concern,  and  in  due 
season  "added  to  the  Lord,''  while  professors  of  reli- 
gion experience  no  uncommon  quickening  from  above. 
The  Christian  body  is  not  revived,  but  enlarged  by  ad- 
ditions from  the  world.  This  U  a  day  of  divine  power 
among  the  dry  bones  of  the  valley,  an  out-pouring  of  the 
Spirit  of  God. 

Sometimes  again,  the  Lord  is  pleased  to  animate  and 
comfort  his  children  in  a  peculiarly  strong  and  happy 

*  Acts  Hi.  19. 


REVIVAL^  25F 

oianner  ;  so  that  their  graces  are  enlivened,  their  zeal  is 
excited,  their  prospects  brightened,  and  their  joy  and 
peace  greatly  increased,  v/hile  the  whole  work  is  un- 
seen and  unobserved  by  the  world  ; — sinners  remain  on 
every  side  impenitent  and  unmoved  as  before,  and  the 
church  receives  from  among  them  no  greater  acces- 
sions than  usual.  This  is  peculiarly  and  emphatically  a 
time  of  refreshing— a  r^yir)'^/,  from  the  Divine  Presence  : 
— the  principle  of  grace,  the  spiritual  life,  already  ex- 
isting in  the  believer's  heart  receives  an  animating  im- 
pulse, and  is  invigorated  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  Such 
revivals  often  lead  to  awakenings  among  the  unregene- 
rate.  Christians  are  thus  excited  to  a  more  diligent  at- 
tendance upon  the  means  of  grace — they  become  more 
earnest  and  faithful  in  endeavouring  to  awaken  the 
zeal  of  one  another  and  to  subdue  the  insensibility  of  the 
careless — they  are  brought  to  exercise  greater  importu- 
nity and  perseverance  in  public  and  in  secret  prayer — 
and  God,  who  will  be  inquired  of  by  the  house  of  Isra- 
el, after  having  excited  his  children  to  fervent  supplica- 
tion, answers.their  prayers,  in  copious  eifusions  of  his 
Spirit  upon  thoughtless  and  perishing  sinners. 

The  application  of  the  term  revival  to  those  cases  ex- 
clusively  in  which  there  is  exhibited  great  excitement  of 
feeling  and  terror,  deep  conviction  and  alarm,  among 
those  formerly  thoughtless  and  impenitent,  manifests  a 
want  of  precise  and  accurate  attention  to  the  origin  and 
meaning  of  the  word  : — it  is  a  use  of  it  whicli  does  not 
comport  with  its  scriptural  signification,  nor  with  just 
and  liberal  views  of  the  subject. 

It  is  of  importance  to  form  just  and  comprehensive 
ideas  of  the  divine  dispensations.  We  would  admire  and 
adore  all  the  gracious  dealings  of  God  with  his  church 

33 


358  A  VIEW  OF 

— we  would  rejoice  in  tlie  reviving  and  refreshing  sea- 
sons with  which  he  has  visited,  and  is  still  animating,  his 
chilaren — we  desire  to  view  with  gratitude  and  encour- 
agement the  sovereignty  and  grace  of  God  as  displayed 
in  the  numerous  awakenings  and  in-gatheringsof  s  nners 
wiiich  have  been  experienced  in  all  ages  of  the  church 
and  in  recent  years.  But,  at  the  same  time,  we  feel  con- 
strained to  remark,  that  some  individuals  in  consequence 
of  their  great  zeal  on  the  subject  of  what  they  denomi- 
nate revivals,  do  not  appear  justly  to  estimate  the  nu- 
merous undesireable  circumstances  with  which  sudden 
and  extensive  religious  excitements  have  sometimes  been 
followed  and  are  liable  to  be  attended. 

A  sentiment,  connected  with  this  subject,  very  unjust 
in  itself  and  wounding  to  Christian  sensibility,  cannot  be 
passed  without  notice.  It  consists  in  undervaluing  and 
dishonouring  the  ministry  of  those  Christian  pastors, 
whose  labours  are  not  crowned  with  revivals  in  the  pop- 
ular, but  erroneous  acceptation  of  that  term.  The  work 
of  the  Lord  proceeds  in  their  hands,  in  a  steady  and  uni- 
form course  of  improvement : — the  flocks,'  to  which  they 
minister,  grow  in  grace  and  in  the  knyledge  of  the 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ :— the  nijfeber  of  profes- 
sors receives  a  regular  and  pleasir^Mncrease :  the 
church  under  tlicir  care  is  built  up  in  faith,  knowledge 
and  purity.  But,  they  have  no  revivals^  according  to 
the  mistaken  application  of  this  word.  ilThe  Lord  may 
descend  by  his  Spirit  and  refresh  his  children  : — he  may 
arrest  and  bring  hom.e  to  Christ  in  the  ordinary  way,  a 
few  loet  souls  out  of  the  multitudes  ready  to  perish  : — 
the  feeble  believer  may  be  strengthened,  the  trembling 
find  relief,  the  tempted  deliverance,  the  mourning  com- 
fort, the  timid  courage,  the  sluggish  and  inactive  obtain 


REVIVALS  259 

quickening  and  life :  but,  we  are  told,  it  is  no  revival 
unless  "  a  great  and  strong  wind  rend  the  mountains  and 
break  in  pieces  the  rocks  before  the  Lord,"^  unless 
there  are  experienced  times  of  powerful  conviction  and 
alarm  among  sinners  : — and  if  these  are  not  felt,  the  pas- 
tors are  cumberers  of  the  ground,  lukewarm  and  unproduc- 
tive labourers  in  the  Lord's  vineyard.  Does  not  the 
following  passage  give  a  very  diilerent  vie^\  — "  Now 
saith  the  Lord  thatl'ormed  me  from  the  womb  to  be  his 
servant,  to  bring  Jacob  again  to  him,  though  Israel  be 
not  gathered  yet  shall  I  be  glorious  in  the  eyes  of  the 
Lord."f  What  estimak^  would  the  persons,  here  refer- 
red to,  form  of  the  preaching  of  Ncnih — rof  Isaiah — of 
Jeremiah — of  Ezekiel — and,  even  of  the  ministry  of  Je- 
sus Christ  himself? — ft  is  God's  ordinary  method  to 
build  up  his  ciiurch  and  to  accomplish  great  moral  chan- 
ges, "by little  and  little/'  and  the  benelitsofthe  Chris- 
tian ministry,  under  the  "still  small  voice"  and  gentle 
influence  of  the  Spirit,  cannot  be  too  highly  appreciated. 
The  church  in  such  circumstances  often  exhibits  much 
of  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  knowledge,  order,  moderation, 
prudence,  |™ee^nd  joy,  and  "a  patient  continuance  in 
well  doing" Wo  the  praise  of  God's  glorious  grace. 
The  additions  and  advantages,  in  general,  which  the 
church  has  been  continually  receiving  in  this  gradual 
mmner,  through  past  ages,  from  the  divine  blessing  on 
the  sacred  ministry,  inconceivably  transct  nd  the  utmost 
benefits  it  has  ever  experienced,  from  occasional  out- 
pourings, of  the  divine  Spirit  and  powerful  awakenings 
which  have  been  witnessed,   and  which  are  by  some  re~ 

*  I,  Kings,  iix.  II.  f  Isai.  xlix.  5. 


260  A  VIEW  OF 

presented  as  almost  the  only  legitimate  and  acceptable 
method  of  building-  i^p  the  church. 

Another  error  connected  with  this  subject,  and  com» 
niitted  by  those,  who  talk  oi going  about  to  make  revivals, 
implies  such  entire  ignorance  of  the  true  nature  of  a  gen- 
uine work  of  grace  on  the  heart  of  man  and  manifests 
such  presumptuous  and  criminal  couhdence  in  external 
means  and  iu  the  arm  of  flesh,  that  it  deserves  no  indul- 
gence, nay  it  merits  the  decided  condemnation  and  re- 
buke of  every  friend  of  true  religion.  It  essays  to  sub- 
stitute the  feeble  and  inefficacious  efforts  of  a  worm,  in 
the  place  of  the  sovereign  and  infinite  grace  of  the  Most 
High,  and  it  would  seem  to  consider  every  partial  ex- 
citement of  temporary  religious  concera,  the  transient 
efiect  on  the  feelings  and  passions,  which  human  exer- 
tions can  produce,  as  a  rational,  solemn  and  divine  im- 
pression of  the  Spirit  of  God— ideas,  directly  opposed  to 
the  plan  of  salvation,  by  grace,  and  hostile  io  the  whole 
system  of  gospel  tiutli. 

The  dispensations  of  God,  towards  his  church,  in  past 
ages,  funiish  many  piensing  and  animating  jn^tances,  in 
which  he  has  ad^ 
ods  here  contempi 
ing  influences  and  by  visiting  sinners  with  a  day  oi  pow- 
er and  mercy.  A  fevv-  of  these  interesting  transactions 
in  the  church,  with  a  view  to  illusti'ate  somewhat  the 
subject  before  uSj  we  rl-.a!!  briefly  glance  at,  without  at- 
tempting in  every  instance  to  decide  the  pardcular 
character  of  each  dispensation  briefiy  described. 

The  first  intimation  of  a  revival  of  religion,  to  be 
found  ill  the  history  of  the  church,  is  presented  to  us 
by  Moses,  in  the  following  words :  "  Then  began  men 


nany  piensing  and  animating^nstances,  m 
advanced  his  kingdom  in  boflrof  the  meth- 
empla^ed  by  granting  to  his  people  reviv- 


REVIVALS.  1161 

to  Ccill  on  the  name  of  the  Lord.'**  Passing  by  the 
speculations  and  controversies  of  the  learned  and  ingen- 
ious respecting  this  passage,  we  remark,  that  it  furnishes 
linquestionable  evidence  of  a  great  increase  of  order, 
zeal  and  devotion  in  the  worship  of  God,  among  the 
pious  family  of  Seth.  The  quickening  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  must  have  been  experienced  in  an  extraor- 
dinary degree,  producing  something  new  and  striking 
in  ihe  religious  character  and  conduct  of  men,  especial- 
ly in  regard  to  the  duty  of  prayer,  or  "  calling  upon 
God,"  to  merit  so  marked  and  honourable  a  notice  in 
the  concise  history  of  I\Ioses.  We  have  no  intimation 
that  any  were  added  to  the  church,  or  that  any  now  for 
the  first  engaged  in  the  duty  of  prayer.  Pious  m.en 
must,  before  this,  have  been  accustomed  to  make  known 
their  wauls  by  prayer  to  God,  and  the  number  of  such 
may  have  been  increased  at  this  time ;  but  it  is  certain 
that  the  spirit  of  prayer,  praise  and  devotion,  was  then 
cherished  and  exercised  in  a  degree  far  exceeding  any 
thing  before  experienced  among  men,  which  must  have 
proceeded  from  the  quickening  power  of  God's  Spirit, 
sent  down  from  heaven. f 

The  Divine  Record  teaches  us  to  believe  that  the  Fa- 
ther of  mercies  visited,  with  his  peculiar  influence,  that 
portion  of  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness,  who  were  in 
the  morning  of  life.  The  Lord  God,  provoked  by  the 
unbelief  and  disobedience  of  those  who  came  out  of 
Egypt  in  mature  age,  had  sworn  that  they  should  not 

*  Gen.  iv.  26. 


f  See  Ed\vard8'  History  Redemption,  8vo.  36;  also  PtacVhouse'i  History  of 
the  Bible,  8vo.  vol.  1,  146,  &c. 


262  A  VIEW  OF 

enter  into  his  promised  rest.  But  the  generation  under 
twenty  years  old,  and  those  born  in  the  wilderness,  he 
addresses  with  extreme  kindness  and  aifection  :  "  But 
your  little  ones,  which  ye  said  should  be  a  prey,  them 
will  I  bring  in,  and  they  shall  know  the  land  which  ye 
have  despised."^  The  Lord  describes  this  generation 
as  a  pious,  obedient  and  beloved  people  :  *'  1  remember 
thee,  the  kindness  of  thy  youth,  the  love  of  thine  espous- 
als, when  thou  wentest  after  me  in  the  wilderness.  Is- 
rael w^as  holiness  to  the  Lord,  and  the  first  fruits  of  his 
increase."!  God  speaks  of  his  tender  and  endearing 
intercourse  with  this  generation,  by  the  prophet  Hosea, 
xiii.  5 :  "I  did  know  thee  in  the  wilderness,  in  the 
land  of  great  drought."  Joshua  says  unto  them,  xxiii. 
8,  "Cleave  unto  the  Lord  your  God,  as  ye  have  done 
unto  this  day."  Their  piety  and  zeal  were  proved  and 
manifested,  at  the  time  of  Achan's  sin  ;  when  the  two 
tribes  and  a  half  were  suspected  of  having  built  an  altar 
in  opposition  to  that  of  the  true  God ;  in  removing  the 
reproach  from  Israel,  by  observing  the  rite  of  circum- 
cision :  and  by  solemnly  renewing  their  covenant  with 
God.  On  the  whole,  at  the  season  here  referred  to,  re- 
ligion appears  to  have  been  in  a  greatly  revived  and 
flourishing  state.  This  dispensation  was  intended  and 
wisely  calculated  to  prepare  the  way  for  establishing 
and  preserving  the  divine  worship  among  the  Israelites 
in  the  land  of  Canaan.  God  was  pleased  to  continue 
this  peculiar  influence  to  his  people  for  some  time,  un- 
der their  illustrious  leader,  Joshua,  and  to  afford  him  a 
double  portion  of  the  same  spirit, 

*  Num.  xiv.  31,  f  Jer.  ii.  2, 3, 


KEVIVALS*  263 

The  church  of  God  enjoyed  a  very  refreshing- season, 
immediately  after  their  return  from  the  Babyh>nish  cap- 
tivity, under  the  ministry  of  Ezra,  the  priest.  Ezra, 
who  was  pre-eminently  zealous  and  active  in  religion, 
immediately  after  his  arrival  from  Babylon,  devoted 
hipjseJf,  with  all  his  powers,  to  reform  the  vices  and  to 
correct  the  evil  habits  of  the  Jews.  Of  the  progress  and 
result  of  his  efforts,  we  are  informed  io  the  tenth  chap» 
ter  of  the  book  bearing  his  name,  and  in  the  eighth  and 
ninth  chipters  of  Neiiemiah.  The  congregation  of  Is- 
rael, under  the  preaching  of  Ezra,  mourned  and  wept 
sore  for  their  sjhs:  they  entered  into  solemn  covenant 
with  God,  and  forsook  their  evil  courses,  they  observed 
a  fast,  confessing  their  iniquities  and  imploring  the  di- 
\hie  mercy  :  they  gave  diligent  and  serious  attention 
to  the  ministrations  in  sacred  things  which  they  enjoyed  : 
they  kept  the  feast  of  tabernai  les,  in  the  true  spirit  of 
that  sacred  institution  :  so  that  the  Avorsbip  of  God  was 
reformed,  and  the  spirit  of  piety  was  revived^  glorious- 
ly in  Israel,  to  the  praise  of  God's  free  grace.  The  fol- 
lowing remarks  of  a  truly  eloquent  writer,  are  beauti- 
fully illustrative  of  the  above  suggestions: — **  Ezra, 
himself  a  priest  and  doctor  of  the  law,  and  Nehemiah, 
the  governor,  reformed  the  abuses  which  the  captivity 
had  introduced,  and  caused  them  to  observe  the  law  in 
its  purity.  The  people  with  them  deploi-e  the  trans- 
gressions which  had  brought  these  chastiseajents  upon 
them,  and  ackiiowledge  that  j\Ioses  had  predicted  them. 
They  all  read  in  the  t^acred  books,  the  menaces  of  this 
man  of  God — they  see  tlie  accomplishment  of  them. 
The  oracle  of  Jeremiah,  ar.d  the  return  so  much  proin- 

*  Edwards'  Hist.  Redemp.— also,  Calmet's  Die.  Bible,  word  Esdras. 


'261  A   VIEW   OF 

ised  after  the  seventy  years  captivity,  astonish  and  con- 
sole them.  They  adore  the  judgments  of  God,  aud,  re- 
conciled to  him,  they  live  in  peace. "^"^^ 

A  most  extraordinary  and  wonderful  out-pouring  of 
the  divine  Spirit  was  witnessed  at  Jerusalem,  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost.  The  doctrines  of  salvation  were  about  to 
be  proci::lmed  to  a  2:iiilty  world.  ^*  To  scatter  abroad, 
in  all  places  and  in  ail  ag;es,  truths  so  exalted^  and  to  en- 
force in  the  midst  of  corruption,  practices  so  holy,  a 
power  was  necessary  a\ore  than  human.  Therefore  Je- 
sus Christ  pr')inised  to  send  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  strength- 
en his  apostles,  and  perpetually  to  animate  the  body  of 
the  church.  This  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  manifest 
itself  the  mere  eHectually,  must  appear  in  infirmity.  *  I 
send  you,'  says  Jt  sus  Christ  to  his  apostles,  *  the  prom- 
ise of  my  Father,'  that  is  to  say,  the  Holy  Spirit;  in  the 
mean  time,  *  tarry  ye  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem  until  ye 
be  endu';d  with  po ''er  from  on  high.'  In  conformity  to 
this  order,  they  remained  shut  up  fort}^  days  :  the  Holy 
Spirit  descended  at  the  time  appointed  :  tongues  of  fire, 
fallen  upon  the  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ,  mark  the  effica- 
cy of  their  word  :  the  preaching  commences  :  the  apos- 
tles bear  witness  to  Jesus  Christ:  they  are  ready  to  suf- 
fer all  things,  to  evince  that  they  have  seen  him  risen. 
Miracles  follow   their  words  :  under  two   discourses  of 

*  "Esdras,  pretre  lul-;neme  et  doctenr  de  la  loi,  et  r*«eheaaias,  gouverneur, 
i'eforn.ereuttouslesabu3quelaca,)tivite  avoiliatroduits,  et  font  garderlalol  dacis 
sa  pareie.  I.e  neuple  pleure  aveceux  les  tn:n?gressions  qaelui  avoieut  attire^ces 
chatlmpns  et  reconnolt que  Moise  lesnvoit  predlts.  Tons  ensemble  liseac  dans 
les  SiiinU  livres  los  rannaccs  de  1'  homme  de  Dieu ;  lis  en  voient  I'  accoinplisse- 
ment ;  1'  oracls  de  Jeremie,  et  le  rclour  tant  proinit  aprea  l«s  70  ans  dn  capt'vite, 
les  etoant^ut  et  les  consolent :  ils  adcittst  kg  jagem^ns  de  Dieu,  et,  rccrncjiies 
avec  liii,  ilsvivent  en  paix."  Vide  Bistoiie  U]!i%'erselle— Tom,  I.  1*2  mo.  pnge 
218.     Bossuct. 


REVIVALS. 


26S 


St.  Peter,  eight  thousand  Jews  are  converted  ;  and, 
weeping  their  error,  they  are  washed  in  the  blood  which 
they  had  shed."^  This  was  a  display  of  divine  power 
and  mercy,  unequalled  in  the  annals  of  the  church  and 
in  the  triumphs  of  heavenly  grace.  The  impulse  expe- 
rienced was  immediately  traced  by  the  eloquent  and  pi- 
ous Peter,  to  that  prediction  and  promise  of  God,  on 
which  hang  the  prayers  and  the  hopes  of  the  world  :-— 
"I  will  pour  out  my  spirit  upon  all  flesh. "f  The  as- 
sembly was  large  and  promiscuous,  composed  of  men 
"  out  of  every  nation  under  heaven."  And  "  fear  came 
upon  all,  and  suddenly  a  sound  from  heaven,  as  of  a 
rushing  mighty  wind,  and  it  filled  all  the  house  where 
they  were  sitting. "J  So  wonderful  was  the  power  ex* 
erted  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  on  the  promiscuous  multi- 
tude of  sinners  who  attended  the  preaching  of  Peter, 
"that  they  gladly  received  his  word,  v/ere  baptized, 
and  the  same  day  there  were  added  to  them  about  three 
thousand  souls  "  *'  They  were  not  Christians  in  name 
only:  they  understood  and  believed  the  apostolic  doc- 
trine, concerning  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ :  they  continued  united  to  the  pas- 
tors whom  God  had  made  instruments  of  their  conver- 
sion: they  received  constantly  the  ordinance  of  the 
Lord's  supper,  in  which  they  enjoyed  real  communion 
with  their  Saviour:  and  prayer  was  their  daily  employ- 
ment and  delight.  Their  holy  boldness  towards  God, 
and  their  joyful  sensation  of  forgiveness,  were  tempered 
with  a  godly  fear.     Ever}^  soul  was  possessed  with  it. 

'"■  Translated  from  the  French.     Vide  Histoire  Univer  Bossuet,  Tom,  1.  273. 
•?•  .TosI  ii.  28.  t   Arts  ii.  2,  5,  &6, 

34 


266  A  VIEW  OF 

They  had  felt  the  pangs  of  guilt :  they  had  seen  what  a 
price  was  paid  for  their  redemption:  they  "rejoiced 
with  trembling,'*  as  men  just  emerged  from  the  pit  of 
destruction:  they  continued  stedfastly  in  the  apostle's 
doc  trine  and  fellowship,  and  in  breaking  of  bread,  and 
in  prayers. "'^' 

The  power  of  divine  grace  was,  soon  after  signally  il- 
lustrated in  the  land  of  Samaria.  This  country  was  sit- 
uated between  Judea  and  Galilee.  "  Vfter  the  success 
of  the  gospel  had  been  so  gloriously  begun  among  the 
proper  Jews,  the  Spirit  of  God  was  next  wonderfully 
poured  out  on  the  Samaritans,  who  were  not  Jews  by 
nation,  but  the  postt^rity  of  those  whom  the  King  of  As- 
syria removed  from  different  parts  of  his  dominions,  and 
settled  in  the  land  that  was  inhabited  by  the  ten  tribes, 
whom  he  carried  captive. "f  These  people  had  receiv- 
ed the  books  of  Moses,  and  they  observed  some  of  the 
ceremonies  required  in  them ;  but  they  corrupted  the 
institutions  of  Moses,  by  mixing  idolatrous  services  with 
them.  They  went  not  up  to  Jerusalem  to  worship,  but 
resorted  to  the  temple  of  Mount  Gerizim,  referred  to  by 
the  woman  of  Samaria:  "our  fathers  worshipped  in  this 
mountain."  J  The  Jews  and  Samaritans  had  long  cher- 
ished an  unhappy  enmity  towards  one  another.  The 
blessed  Saviour,  in  the  days  of  his  humanity,  manifested 
kindness  for  this  people.  His  attempts  to  bring  them  to 
piety  were  unthankfully  resisted  then  ;  but  his  set  time, 
to  separate  to  himself  a  peculiar  people  in  Samaria,  had 
now  arrived.  This  was  effected  principally  through 
the  instrumentality  of  Philip,  "  who  went  down  to  the 

*  Vide  Miluer's  Church  History,  vol,  I,  page  24. 

+  Edwards'  His.  Redem,  €59.  \  John  iv.  20. 


REVIVALS.  267 

city  of  Samaria,  and  preached  Christ  unto  them.  And 
the  people  with  one  accord,  gave  heed  unto  those  things 
which  Philip  spake,  hearing  and  seeing  the  miracles 
which  he  did.  And  there  was  great  joy  in  that  city.'*-^ 
This  happy  work  of  God  was  carried  on  in  many  Samar- 
itan villages,  by  the  visiting  and  preaching  of  Peter  and 
John.  The  arrogant  and  blasphemous  pretensions  of  Si- 
mon Magus,  who  had  "  bewitched  the  people  with  sor- 
ceries," were  no  longer  tolerated.  The  power  of  God's 
Spirit  and  the  wonders  of  divine  love,  were  displayed 
in  reconciling  and  uniting  in  ties  of  Christian  affection 
and  harmony,  many  Jews  and  Samaritans,  strongly  op- 
posed in  their  religious  principles,  relations  and  observ- 
ances, and  habitually  hostile,  from  motives  of  worldly 
interest  arjd  false  honour.  The  inveterate  enmities  and 
deep  rooted  prejudices  of  the  carnal  mind,  were  soon 
subdued  and  rectified  by  the  triumphant  operations  of 
God's  most  Holy  Spirit. 

The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  poured  out  and  made  to 
triumph  gloriously  in  Thessalonica.  «*  A  synagogue  of 
the  Jew?  was  established  there,  and  Paul,  as  his  manner 
was,  went  in  unto  them,  and  three  Sabbath  days  reason- 
ed with  them  out  of  the  Scriptures.  And  some  of  them 
believed  and  consorted  with  Paul  and  Silas:  and  of  the 
devout  Greeks  a  great  multitude,  and  of  the  chief  wo- 
men not  a  few."f  "  The  growth  of  this  people  in  god- 
liness, was  soon  renowned  through  the  Christian  world. 
Their  persecutions  appear  to  have  been  grievous,  and 
hence  the  comfort  of  God  their  Saviour,  and  the  pros- 
pect of  the  invisible  world,  became  more  precious  to 

^  Actsviii.  5,  6,  8.  f  Actgxvii, 


26^  A  VIEW  Oic 

them."^  They  appear  to  have  enjoyed  with  peculiar 
abundance  and  constancy,  the  sanctifying  and  consoling 
influences  of  the  divine  spirit  and  presence;  hence  they 
were  alive  to  God,  zealous  and  devout  in  his  holy  ser- 
vice. 

The  city  of  Ephesus,  in  Asia  Minor,  was  remarkable 
for  the  great  temple  of  Diana,  one  of  the  wonders  of  the 
world,  erected  there,  which  attracted  the  attention  of 
mai  y  stiarigers.  Few  places  upon  earth  were  more 
strongly  devoted  to  idolatry.  Many  ingenious  ariisls 
enriched  themselves  by  making  shrines  and  images  for 
the  superstitious  worship  of  Diana.  The  gospel  of 
Christ  had»  therefore,  peculiar  obstacles  to  encounter 
in  that  city.  And  "  in  no  place,"  says  the  excellent 
historianf  before  referred  to,  "  does  the  word  of  God 
seem  so  much  to  have  triumphed,  as  at  Ephesus.  The 
work  of  conversion  was  deep,  vigorous  and  soul-trans- 
forming, to  a  great  degree.  Many,  struck  with  the  hor- 
ror of  former  crimes,  made  an  open  confession  ;  and  ma- 
ny who  had  dealt  in  the  abomi.iations  of  sorcery,  now 
showed  their  sincere  detestation  of  them,  by  burning 
their  books  before  all  men,  the  price  of  which  amount- 
ed to  a  large  sum.  *  So  mightily  grew  the  word  ot  God 
and  prospered.'  Thus  triuuiphs  the  sacred  historian. 
Satan  must  have  trembied  for  his  kingdom:  the  empti- 
ness of  all  the  systen^s  of  philosophy  appeared  no  less 
palpable,  than  the  fiagitiousness  of  vice  and  the  enormi- 
ties of  idolatry.  The  spiritual  power  of -Jesus  was  nev- 
er seen  in  a  stronger  light,  sint-e  the  day  of  Pentecost : 
and  the  venul  priesthood  of  Diana,  the  celebrated  god- 
dess of  Ephesus,  apprehended  the  total  ruin  of  their 
hierarchy.'* 

*  Milcet'F  C.  Hist.  77,  vol.  1,  f  Milcer,  vol.  I.  m 


REVIVALS.  269 

Another  remarkable  Wv)rk,  of  the  divine  Spirit  on  the 
hearts  of  a^.en  particularly  distinguishable  in  the  annals 
of  the  church,  is  presented  in  the  history  of  the  W'ddcn- 
ses.  The  season  of  prosperity,  which  the  church  of 
Christ  enjoyed  under  the  ministry  of  the  Apostles,  Evan- 
gelists and  Fathers,  was  succeeded  by  a  time  of  persecu- 
tion and  darkness,  which  continued  for  several  centu- 
ries. "  There  was  a  certain  people,"  says  president 
Edwards,^  **  called  the  Waldenses,  who  lived  separate 
from  all  the  rest  of  the  world,  who  kept  themselves 
pure  and  constantly  bore  n  testimony  against  the  church 
of  Rome  through  all  this  dark  time.  The  place  where 
they  dwelt  was  the  Vcvdcis  or  the  five  vallies  of  Pied- 
mont, a  very  mountainous  country  between  Italy  and 
France.  The  place  where  they  lived  was  compassed 
about  with  those  exceedingly  high  mountains  called 
the  Alps,  which  were  almost  impassable.  There  this 
people  lived  for  many  ages  as  it  we  c  alone  in  a  state  of 
separation  from  all  the  w^orld,  having  very  little  to  do 
with  any  other  people.  And  there  they  served  God  in 
the  ancient  purity  of  his  worship  and  never  submitted  to 
the  Church  ot  Rome.  It  is  supposed  that  this  people 
first  betook  themselves  to  this  desert  secret  place  among 
the  mountains,  to  hide  themselves  from  the  severity  of 
the  Heathen  persecutions  which  were  before  Constan- 
tine  the  great."  Some  suppose  these  people  to  have  re- 
treated into  these  peaceful  vales  first,  in  the  fth  centu- 
ry,f  that  they  niight  live  free  from  oppression  and  en- 
joy securely  their  religious  modes  of  worship.  But  at 
whatever  period  this  settlement  took  place,  the  influ- 
ence of  the   Holy  Spirit  is  very  manifest  in  the  whole 

*  His.  Red  19:?, 

t  Vide  Mooheim'e  Ecole.  Hi.?.  Vol.  lii.  page  117,  also  No.^bil'g  Ch,  History,  18P 


2r0  A  VIEW   OF 

transaction.  The  corruption,  oppression  and  misery, 
of  the  world,  under  the  dominion  of  papal  tyranny  and 
darkness,  cannot  be  expressed.  By  the  special  direction 
and  agency  of  the  divine  Spirit,  the  truth,  in  principle 
and  in  niactice,  was  happily  preserved  in  the  hearts  and 
lives  of  these  secluded  people.  **  Their  fundamental 
doctrine  was,  that  the  authority  of  Scripture  is  supreme, 
that  this  was  the  sole  rule  for  judsring  in  matters  of  reli- 
gion, and  that  whatever  disagreed  therewith  must  be  re° 
jected.  They  declared  that  the  decrees  of  councils 
were  only  to  be  so  far  approved  as  they  might  agree 
Avith  the  word  of  God.  They  asserted  that  the  reading 
and  knowledge  of  Scripture  were  necessary  for  all  and 
the  privilege  of  the  laity  os  well  as  the  clergy.  Their 
rules  of  practice  were  extremely  rigid,  and  austere,  and 
their  aim  and  intention  was  to  reduce  every  thing  in  re- 
ligion to  the  standard  and  discipline  of  the  primitive 
church.  They  held  almost  the  same  opinions  as  those 
who  are  now  called  reformers  and  Calvinists."*  When 
their  peaceful  retirement  and  their  true  Christian  faith 
and  character  became  known  to  the  supporters  of  the 
papal  hierarchy,  in  the  13th  century,  the  storm  of  perse- 
cution soon  burst  upon  them.  Thousands  perished  by 
cruel  deaths  and  multitudes  fled  for  safety  to  almost  ev- 
ery part  of  Europe  disseminating  the  truth  of  Christ, 
wherever  they  went,  thus  preparing  the  way  for  that  en- 
tire deliverance,  from  the  reign  of  oppression  and  dark- 
ness, which  speedily  followed.  In  no  instance,  in  the 
history  of  the  church,  do  we  see  more  clearly  displayed 
the  blessed  efficacy  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  preserving  from 
extinction  among  men  the  precious   light  of  Heaven. 

*  See  Necbit's  Ecc.  His.  8  vo.— 190— 1. 


REVIVALS.  271 

guarding:,  refreshing  and  sustaining,  from  age  to  age  and 
from  centuiy  to  century,  the  elements  of  truth  and  the 
graces  of  piety.  This  Avas  a  uniform,  progressive  and 
triumphant  work  of  God  which  demands  the  wonder 
and  the  praise  of  every  succeeding  age. 

The  dispersion  of  the  Waldenses,  the  diffusion  of  their 
pure  knowledge  and  the  influence  of  their  spotless  lives, 
through  surrounding  kingdoms,  contributed  much  to 
hasten  and  facilitate  the  glorious  reformation,  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  16th  century.  This  was  indeed  a  season  of 
extensive  excitement,  revival  and  reform  amonr  the  na- 
tions, in  which  the  grace  of  God  was  manifested,  so  ex- 
traordinarily, as  to  awaken  the  admiration  of  mankind. 
Li  the  words  of  that  a^ra  we  read  of  no  sudden  out-pour- 
ings of  the  divine  Spirit  upon  congregations  and  commu- 
nities, of  no  powerful  and  extensive  awakenings  among  sin- 
ners, in  which  thousands  or  hundreds,  are  in  a  short  period 
brought  home  to  Christ  from  the  brink  of  death.  Such 
triumphs  God  has  bestowed  upon  other  days.  His 
work,  at  the  time  referred  to,  assumed  a  different  char- 
acter. A  local  revival  in  some  solitary  corners  of  Eu- 
rope would  have  been  local  in  its  effects  and  not  attend- 
ed with  any  great  and  beneficent  result  on  the  con- 
dition of  others.  This  was  not  the  plan  of  God.  The 
world  was  in  darkness :  thick  darkness  rested  on  the 
minds  of  the  people.  It  was  necessary  that  the  work  of 
God's  Spirit  should  commence  in  the  hearts  of  some  in- 
dividuals, of  exalted  and  towering  genius — of  ardent  and 
intrepid  spirit — of  patient  and  persevering  temper — of 
quick  discernment  and  extensive  forecast — who  should 
become  leaders  in  the  great  enterprise — enlightening  and 
emancipating  a  wretched  world.  Infinite  wisdom  laid 
the  plan  :  God's  victorious  Spirit  and  grace  accomplished 


2r2  A    VIEW    OF 

what  his  wisdom  liad  conceived.  Wickllff,  Hqss,  Je* 
rome,  Luther,  Melancthoii,  Zuinglius,  C'^hin  and  multi- 
tudes like  minded,  rise  up,  in  quick  sucession,  as  stars 
in  a  dark  night :  and  through  them  the  light  of  the 
Spirit  of  heaven  beams  upon  the  darkness  of  the  world. 
The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  filled  their  hearts  and  supported 
them  in  all  their  conflicts.  Animated  by  his  invigora- 
ting power,  "  they  wrought  righteousness,  quenched  the 
violence  of  fire,  escaped  the  edge  of  the  sword,  out  of 
weakness  were  made  strong,  waxed  valiant  in  fight,  en- 
dured trial  of  cruel  mockings  and  scourgings,  of  bonds 
and  imprisonment,  turned  to  flight  the  armies  of  the 
aliens,  subdued  kingdoms"  and  courted  the  crown  of 
martyrdom.  The  Spirit  of  revival  and  reform  spread 
from  province  to  province  and  from  hind  to  land.  It 
visited  the  humble  cottage  : — it  inspired  the  battled 
host : — it  diffused  itself  through  the  councils  of  nations  : 
— it  entered  the  habitations  of  the  great: — and  it  some- 
times ascended  the  earthly  throne.  The  "  gospel  came 
not  in  word  only,  but  also  in  power  and  in  the  Holy 
Ghost  and  in  much  assurance."     1.  Thes.  i.  5. 

Early  in  the  ITth  century,  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  com- 
mence a  peculiar  work  of  grace  in  the  central  parts  of 
Germany,  near  which  the  glorious  reforma*  ion  origma- 
ted.  Many  pious  and  learned  men,  of  Jena,  Lunen- 
burgh,  Strasbugh,  Wittemberg,  Cobuig,  Hall,  Erfurt, 
Hanover,  and  Rostock,  were  employed  in  producing 
and  carrying  on  this  happy  revival.  They  were 
brought  at  first  to  mourn  the  decay  of  piety  in  the  hearts 
and  lives  of  God's  professing  people  and  to  attempt,  by 
publishing  pious,  appropriate  tracts,  to  arouse  the  minds 
of  Christians  in  general  to  the  same  subject.  These 
means  were  employed  in  the  Divine  Hand,  to  revive  pro- 


REVIVALS,  2^3 

fessors,  and  also  to  convert  many  sinners  to  God. 
About  166*2,  one  of  these  recently  published  pious  pie- 
ces, was  made  the  means  of  opening  the  eyes  and  inter- 
esting the  heart,  of  Dr.  Spener,  on  the  subject  of  reli- 
gion, after  which  he  became  a  champion  in  the  cause  of 
godliness.  His  private  counsels,  his  public  ministra- 
tions, an^d  his  pious  publications,  were  remarkably  pros- 
pered by  the  Spirit  of  God,  to  the  enlargement  and  sanc- 
tification  of  the  churches  committed  to  his  care,  in 
Francfort,  Dresden  and  Berlin.  In  Francfort,  he  open- 
ed a  private  conference  for  the  instruction  and  comfort 
of  impressed  and  anxious  souls.  To  that  meeting,  in- 
quirers for  Christ  were  invited  to  come  "  to  bring  forth 
any  experience  or  spiritual  meditation  that  was  upon 
their  minds."  Multitudes  of  citizens  and  strangers 
flocked  to  this  meeting  intended  for  private  devotion, 
and  the  Lord  made  it  a  place  of  mercy  to  many  souls. 
So  great  was  the  fame  of  these  divine  operations,  that 
the  evangelic  pastor  was  frequently  honoured  and  en- 
couraged by  the  attendance  of  professors  of  univer- 
sities, ministers  of  state,  electors  and  princes.  This 
work  was  carried  into  Leipsick  and  Hall,  through  the 
labours  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Schade,  and  professor  Frank. 
Biblical  schools,  meetings  for  expounding  and  reciting 
the  Scriptures,  were  made  effectual  means  of  promoting 
this  good  work.  Religion  in  Germany  assumed  a  new 
form.  The  walk  of  piety  and  the  worship  of  God  be- 
came emphatically  marked  with  knowledge,  zeal  and 
devotion. "^^ 

A  few  years  previous  to  this  revival  in  Germany,  a 
pious  company  under  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 

*  Vide  Historical  Collectioo  by  John  Gillies,  Vol.  1.  boot,  ili.  Cb.  4 

^5 


274  A  riE'sv  oi 

arrived  in  New-England  and  commenced  the  settling  of 
that  new  and  uncultivated  country.  The  divine  Spirit 
was  poured  out  uponthera  very  remarkably  from  the  begin- 
ning and  the  divine  presence  was  peculiarly  alforded  to 
these  colonists  for  a  considerable  time.^  They  were  in 
general  descended  immediately  from  the  15rst  English  re- 
formers. Their  religious  principles  and  habits  were  of 
the  most  strict  and  rigid  nature.  Difficulties  and  op- 
pressions at  home,  rendered  their  circumstances  unhap- 
py :  and  by  an  impulse,  from  heaven,  they  simultane- 
ously resolved  to  cross  the  ocean,  to  settle  in  a  wilder- 
ness, there  to  become  a  covenant  people  of  God,  and  to 
worship  Him  according  to  the  dictates  of  their  pure,  sim- 
ple and  fervent  piety.  This  devout  little  company,  of 
Christian  brethren,  soon  became  a  multitude.  *'  And  to 
the  great  glory  of  God  be  it  spoken,  there  never  was 
perhaps  before  seen  such  a  body  of  pious  people  togeth- 
er on  the  face  of  the  earth. "f  The  Spirit  of  God  was 
copiously  imparted  to  the  successive  groups  of  emigrants 
that  arrived  from  different  parts  of  Europe,  and  to  the 
children  and  youth  of  the  colonies.  Churches  were  es- 
tabHshed  in  great  number  and  in  rapid  succession,  and 
filled  with  fervent  and  adoring  worshippers.  In  1629j 
the  leaders  of  this  pious  settlement  entered  publicly  in- 
to solemn  covenantj  with  God  and  w^ith  one  another. 
"  The  discourse,  not  only  of  the  aged,  but  of  the  youth 
also,  then,  was, — how  shall  we  go  to  Heaven  ?  Have  I 
true  grace  wrought  in  ray  heart  ?  Have  1  Christ  or 
not  ?     O,  how  did  men  and  women,  young  and  old  pray 

*  IG20— 1650.  f  See  Prince's  Christian  History. 

\  The    instrument,  drawn  up  and    signed  on  this  occasion,  is  preserved  ic 
Neal'8  Hie.  of  the  Puritans,  A.  D.  1629. 


REVIVALS.  275 

for  grace,  beg-  for  Christ,  in  those  days  !  And  it  was  not 
in  vain  :  many  were  converted  and  others  were  estab- 
lished in  believing,  many  joined  the  several  churches, 
where  they  lived,  confessing  their  faith  publicly  and 
shoM'ing  ])erore  all  the  ussemhiy  their  experiences  of  the 
workings  of  God's  Spirit,  in  their  hearts,  to  bring  them 
to  Christ."^ 

It  was  at  this  period,  that  Eliof,  tlie  pious  pastor  o( 
Pvoxbury,  near  Boston,  denominated  "the  apostle  to  the 
American  Indians,"  commenced  his  arduous  and  sucess- 
fulf  labours  among  the  natives  of  this  country.  He  was= 
aided  in  this  service  by  the  Rev.  Messrs.  John  Cotton 
and  Samuel  Treat,  and  the  ministrations  of  all  were 
greatly  blessed  to  these  illiterate  and  wretched  heathen. 
In  the  Atlantic  sidrts  of  Massachusetts  and  in  Khode- 
Island,  especially  on  Martha's  Vineyard,  very  soon,  sev- 
eral Indian  congregations  were  established,  consisting 
of  many  hopefully  pious  professors,  baptized  persons 
and  serious  inquirers  after  salvation  in  Jesus  Christ. 
The  Lord  communicated  his  grace  in  peculiar  abun- 
dance to  his  people  in  the  colonies,  to  support  and  com- 
fort  their  hearts  amidst  the  trials  inseparable  from  their 
state.  He  added  daily  to  his  church  such  as  gave  evi- 
denceof  faith,  and  made  that  a  long  continued  and  mem- 
orable period  of  refreshing  from  his  blessed  presence. 

In  Windham,  Connecticut,  1721,  the  dispensation  of 
the  gospel  was  attended  with  extraordinary  power,  and 
made  instrumental  in  bringing  home  to  Christ,  a  consid- 
erable harvest  of  souls.  Persons  of  all  ages  and  many 
of  dissolute  life,  were  suddenly  awakened  and  deeply 
impressed,  so  that  through  divine  grace,  in  a  very  short 
time,  eighty  souls  were  added  to  the  Lord. 

"^  PriiK-.e's  Chri?.  History.  i  Sec  ?4athci\s  life  of  RJiof 


2^6  A  VIEW  OF 

This  was  followed  at  the  ch)se  of  the  year  ir30,  by  a 
very  remarkable  manifestation  of  heavenly  grace,  at  Free- 
hold, under  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  John  Tennent  and  his 
successor.  Early  in  the  settlement  of  this  place  a  num- 
ber of  intelligent  and  pious  Scotch  people  fixed  their 
residence  there.  Notwithstanding  the  salutary  influ- 
ence of  their  example  and  exertions,  religion  gradually 
declined.  And  the  prospect  was  very  unpromising 
when  Mr.  Tennent  commenced  his  labours  among  that 
people.  But  he  soon  expressed  a  strong  belief  "  that 
Christ  had  a  large  harvest  of  souls  to  gather  in  that  con- 
gregation." His  ministerial  labours  were  peculiarly 
prospered.  The  place  of  public  worship  was  crouded 
with  attendants,  who  listened  as  for  their  lives  ;  and  the 
hearers  seemed  to  behave  in  God's  house  as  if  they  stood 
at  his  bar.  The  minister  and  the  people  were  often  w^et 
with  tears.  It  was  not  unusual  to  see  many  persons  in 
time  of  service  sighing  and  sobbing  with  deep  agitation. 
Some  were  carried  out  of  the  public  assemblies,  as  if 
dead,  overwhelmed  by  the  majesty  and  glory  of  the  divine 
sanctuary.  In  consequence  of  the  death  of  this  eminent- 
ly pious  and  excellent  minister  of  Jesus,  this  congrega- 
tion, with  the  approbation  of  the  people,  was  very  soon 
placed  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  William  Ten- 
nent. Soon  after  accepting  the  charge,  this  unassum- 
ing man  of  God  observed,  that  the  Lord  had  sent  him  to 
reap  that  on  which  he  had  bestowed  but  little  labour. 
The  gracious  work  was  greatly  advanced  by  his  pious 
and  faithful  efforts,  and  tlie  fruits  of  this  season  of  mercv 
Avere  very  abundant.  The  subjects  of  grace  were  led  to 
Christ  by  a  strong  and  deep  conviction  of  sin,  guilt  and 
danger.  They  saw  their  condemned  state  : — they  ac- 
knowledged the  justice  of  God  : — they  felt  and  mourn- 
ed their  helplessness  :— and,  so,  they  were  compelled  to 


KEVIVALS.  '2TT 


seek  relief  by  faith  in  Christ  alone.  The  great  doc- 
trines of  the  gospel,  which  abase  the  sinner  and  exalt 
the  free  grace  of  God,  became  dear  and  precious  to 
their  hearts.  They  gloried  only  in  the  Lord  who  had 
loved  them  and  given  himself  for  them.  They  spoke 
with  so  much  clearness,  propriety  and  aflfection,  of  di- 
vine things,  that  every  hearer  was  convinced  the  Lord 
had  been  their  teacher.  This  work  of  God  was  entire- 
ly free  from  enthusiasm  and  extravagance.  Divine 
grace  was  truly  illustrated  and  magnified  therein  the  con- 
version  of  many  sinners  and  quickening  of  many  believ- 
ers. 

Very   soon  after  this  pleasing  event   in  Freehold, 
JVorthampton,  was  made  the  theatre  upon  which  the  op- 
erations of  the  divine  Spirit  were  ej(hibited  more  strik- 
ingly and  effectually,  than  in  any  other  instance  record- 
ed in  the  18th  century.     This  spot  had  long  been  high- 
ly favoured  of  God.     The  llev.  Eleazer  Mather,  the 
first  pastor  there,  w^as  settled  in  1669,  and  his  ministry 
was  crowned   with  extensive  success.     Rev.  Solomon 
Stoddard   who  succeeded  him   in   1672,  continued  Im 
ministerial  labours  till  1728,  in  distinguished  honour  and 
usefulness.     He  enjoyed  five  successive  seasons  of  the 
out-pouring  of  the  Spirit,    which  he  denominated   liar- 
^ests,  inasmuch  as  each,  in  its  tarn,  produced  a  consider- 
able increase  of  church  members,   and  of  vital  piety. 
The  Rev.  Jonathan  Edwards,  who  was  the  human  agent 
employed  by  God  to  begin  and  carry  on  the  signal  work 
of  grace  which  followed,  in  i734,  &c.  possessed  knowl> 
edge,  piety  and  faithfulness,   in  a  pre-eminent  Qle^^rce. 
His  earnest  efforts  to  produce  among  his  people  a  sa'^cred 
observance  of  the  Sabbath,  his  introducing  and  encourag- 
ing religious  meetings  among  the  youth— and  his  plahi 


2i  6  A  VIEW  OV 

and  solemn  preaching  on  the  doctrines  of  grace,  espe' 
ciaiMj  justijicafion  by  faith  ; — were  the  particular  means 
first  used,  by  God,  to  carry  conviction  to  the  hearts  of 
sinners.  The  following;  plain  and  solemn  account  of 
the  work  that  followed  is  extracted  from  President  Ed- 
ward's Narrative^  on  this  subject: — *^'  A  great  and  ear- 
nest concern  about  the  great  things  of  religion  and  the 
eternal  world  became  universal  in  all  parts  of  the  town 
and  among  persons  of  ail  ages  :  the  noise  among  the  dry 
bones  waxed  louder  and  louder  ;  all  other  talk  but  about 
spiritual  and  eternal  things  was  soon  thrown  by.  Other 
discourse  than  of  the  things  of  religion  would  scarcely 
be  tolerated  in  any  company.  The  minds  of  people 
v/ere  wonderfully  taken  off  from  the  world.  It  was 
treated  amongst  us  as  a  thing  of  very  little  consequence. 
The  temptation  now  seemed  to  lie  on  that  hand  to  ne- 
glect worldly  affairs  too  much  and  to  spend  too  much 
time  in  the  immediate  exercise  of  religion.  The  only 
thing  in  their  view  v^^as  to  get  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
and  every  one  appeared  pressing  into  it.  The  engag- 
edness  of  their  hearts  in  this  great  concern  could  not  be 
hid  :  it  appeared  in  their  very  countenances.  It  was 
then  a  dreadful  thing  amongst  us,  to  lie  out  of  Christ  in 
danger  every  day  of  dropping  into  hell.  There  was 
scarcely  a  single  person  in  the  town  either  old  or  young, 
that  was  left  unconcerned  about  the  great  things  of  the 
eternal  world.  The  work  of  conversion  was  carried  on 
in  a  most  astonishing  manner,  and  increased  more  and 
more  :  souls  did  as  it  were  come  by  flocks  to  Jesus 
Christ.  From  day  to  day,  for  many  months  together, 
might  be  seen  evident  instances  of  sinners  brought  out 

*  See  Prince's  Chris.  His.  No.  l.i,  1(5.  See  extract  from  that  Narrative,  Gillie's 
tiollections  vol.  ii.  page  35. 


IIEVIVALS.  '279 

of  darkness  into  marvellous  light,  and  delivered  out 
of  an  horrible  pit,  and  Crom  the  miry  clay,  and  set  upon 
a  rock,  with  a  new  song  of  praise  to  God  in  their 
mouths.  This  work  of  God,  as  it  was  carried  on,  and 
the  number  of  true  saints  multiplied,  soon  made  a  glori- 
ous alteration  in  the  town ;  so  that  in  the  spring  and 
summer  following,  in  the  year  1735,  the  town  seemed  to 
be  full  of  the  presence  of  God.  There  were  remarka- 
ble tokens  of  God's  presence  in  almost  every  house.  It 
was  a  time  of  joy  in  families,  on  account  of  salvation's 
being  brought  unto  them  :  parents  rejoicing  over  their 
children,  as  new  born,  and  husbands  over  their  wives, 
and  wives  over  their  husi)ands.  God's  days  were  a  de- 
light, and  his  tabernacles  were  amiable.  Our  public  as- 
semblies were  then  beautiful :  the  congregation  was 
alive  in  God's  service,  every  hearer  eager  to  drink  in 
the  words  of  the  minister  as  they  came  from  his  mouth: 
the  assembly  in  general  were  from  time  to  time  in  tears, 
while  the  word  was  preached ;  some  weeping  with  sor- 
row and  distress,  others  with  joy  and  love,  others  with 
pity  and  concern  for  the  souls  of  their  neighbours." 
Many  villages  and  congregations  in  the  surrounding- 
country,  shared  richly  in  this  copious  effusion  of  the 
Spirit  of  God. 

About  the  year  1738,  the  apostolic  Whitefield  com- 
menced his  preaching  tours  through  these  states.  The 
effect  was  wonderful.  The  Divine  Spirit  seemed  hap- 
pily to  accompany  him,  and  to  prosper  his  fervent  and 
unwearied  labours.  Thousands  traced  their  first  reli- 
gious impressions  and  their  eternal  hopes,  to  his  power- 
ful and  awakening  sermons,  in  the  hands  of  God.  The 
period  of  bis  journies  may  be  viewed  as  a  continued 
season  of  awakening  among  the  thoughtless,  and  revival 


280  A  VIEW  OF  f^ 

among  the  pious.  His  visits  of  love  and  power,  were 
extended  to  the  whole  country  :  he  preached  in  most  of 
the  important  towns  and  villages,  and  often  in  groves 
and  in  the  open  fields.  The  fruits  of  his  labours,  by  di- 
vine grace,  were  made  abundant  and  precious,  through 
ail  the  provinces, 

A  few  years  after  these  great  successes,  the  Rev.  Gil- 
bert Tennent  was  induced  to  visit  New-England,  in  the 
same  evangelizing  service.  He  did  not  possess  so  ex- 
tensively as  Mr.  Whitefield,  the  natural  powers  of  elo- 
quence, but  the  grace  of  God  rested  upon  him,  and  gave 
astonishing  efhcacy  to  his  ministrations,  in  many  places. 
He  seemed  to  go  forth  in  the  name  of  the  Most  High, 
armed  with  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  and  clothed  with  sal- 
vation. In  the  city  of  Boston,  many  hundreds,  some 
judged  thousands,  were  deeply  impressed  by  his  dis- 
courses. Many  children  w,ere  deeply  convinced,  and 
some  receiv^ed  consolation.  In  Charlestown  and  Cam- 
bridge, great  numbers  were  awakened  and  hopefully 
converted.  Some  very  aged,  many  in  the  prime  of  life, 
some  very  young,  several  students  in  Harvard  college, 
and  a  number  of  people  of  colour,  shared  this  saving  in- 
fluence. Mr.  Tennent's  sermons  were  made  "  the  wis- 
dom of  God  and  the  power  of  God,"  to  the  conviction 
and  conversion  of  many  sinners,  in  Ipswich,  Portsmouth, 
Marblehead,  Chelsea,  Hampton,  Plymouth,  Bristol, 
Providence,  Stonington,  New-London,  Lyme,  Guilford, 
Taunton,  New-Haven,  Stratford,  Newport,  and  Milford. 
Through  all  the  region  from  New-Jersey  to  New-Hamp- 
shire, the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  poured  out  powerfully 
upon  the  principal  towns  and  villages.  It  was  a  glori- 
ous triumph  o-  the  Son  of  God  among  sinful  men.  Ma- 
ny pious  and  excellent  persons  appeared  to  entertain  a 


Jp  REVIVALS.  281 

joyful  persuasion,  that  the  latter  day  glory  was  arising 
upon  them. 

In  1739,  the  Spirit  of  God  commenced  a  glorious 
work  of  awakening  among  sinners,  and  refreshing  among 
Christians,  in  the  united  congregations  of  Arawell, 
Hopewell  and  Lawrence,  under  the  pastoral  service  of 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Rowland.  His  faithful  labours,  in  preach- 
ing and  visiting,  were  made  the  means  of  beginning  this 
gracious  work.  It  commenced  in  Am  well,  May  17  9. 
A  discourse  upon  these  words,  *^ The  Master  is  come 
and  callcth  for  thee,"  was  made  powerful  and  awaken- 
ing to  many  souls.  A  sermon  at  another  tim.e,  on  the 
following  passage,  "All  things  are  ready,  come  to  the 
marriage,"  proved  sweetly  encouraging  and  comforting 
to  many  agitated  spirits.  The  power  of  God's  grace 
was  exercised  remarkably,  in  a  iew  instances.  October 
6th,  1736,  at  a  night  meeting,  only  about  fifteen  persons 
assembled,  eleven  of  whom  were  deeply  convinced  of 
their  misery,  and  brought  to  cry  out  so  distressingly, 
that  Mr.  Rowland  thought  it  prudent  to  conclude  the 
service.  When  he  asked  them  afterwards  the  reason  of 
their  loud  and  awful  cries,  some  answered,  "  that  they 
saw  hell  opening  before  them,  and  themselves  ready  to 
fall  into  it :"  others  added,  ''  That  they  were  struck  with 
such  a  sense  of  their  sinfulness,  that  they  were  afri^iid  the 
Lord  would  never  have  mercy  on  them."  Another  of 
these  special  seasons,  was  December  30,  1739;  when 
the  Lord  was  pleased  to  manifest  his  grace  exceedingly, 
through  the  whole  service.  Some  hardened  creatures 
w^ere  deeply  co'ivinced  of  the  truth  and  beauty  of  reli- 
gion. Some  persons  present  said,  "they  never  would 
forget  this  day,  in  whi-.h  God  had  been  so  gracious  to 
them," 

36 


282  A  VIEW  OF  ^ 

In  Lawrence,  tl-e  work  of  grace  commenced  and  pro- 
gressed in  a  manner  somewhat  different.      April  6th^ 
1740,  at  public  service,  the  subject  was  the  gospel  net, 
Mat.  xiii.  47  ;  and  many  were  deeply  humbled  before 
the  Lord.     The   whole  assembly,   believers  and  unbe- 
lievers, seemed  to  be  much  moved  and  affected  by  di- 
vine influence.     On  the  24th  of  July,  the  same  year, 
public  service  seemed  to  produce  a  lively  and  sweet 
impression  on  the  minds  of  hearers,  especially  on  Chris- 
tians.    After  public  worship,  some  as  they  were  return- 
ing home,  stopped  at  the  house  of  a  Christian  friend  on 
the  way.    The  company,  at  first  small,  was  soon  increas- 
ed to  forty.     An  address  to  them,  on  the  first  verses  of 
the  fiftieth  Psalm^  was  attended  with  peculiar  effect,  and 
"the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  made  to  work  by  it  upon 
all  that  were  present.     The  love  of  God's  people  was 
uncommonly  inflamed  to   Jesus  Christ ;    (heir  views  of 
liis  majesty  and  glory  were  much  enlarged  ;  their  long- 
ings after  him   much  stirred  up;  their  zeal   for  God's 
glory  enkindled  anew.     And  as  to  the  unconverted  that 
were  present,  they  received  very  clear  discoveries  of 
their  undone  state  by  nature.     This  was  followed  with 
the  mighty  power  of  God,   in  a  sermon,  the  next  eve- 
ning, to  a  large  congregation,  in  the  same  town."     In 
Lawrence,  August  8d,  "  God  was  pleased  to  magnify 
his  grace,  in  visiting  many  poor  sinners.     He  opened 
their  eyes,  to  see  themselves  without  Christ,  and  with- 
out hope  in  the  world  :  their  convictions  were  attended 
with  great  horror  and  trembling  and    loud   weeping. 
Many  did  continue  crying  in  the  most  doleful  manner 
along  the  road,  in  their  way  home,  and  it  was  not  in  the 
power  of  man  to  prevail  with  them  to  refrain  ;  for  the 
word  of  the  Lord  remained  like  a  fire  upon  their  hearts. 


REVIVALS.  283 

Respecting  the  nature  of  this  work,  their  views  of  heart 
corruption,  their  distance  from  God  and  their  having 
lived  so  long  without  him,  were  very  clear  and  aflect- 
ing:  their  hardness  and  unbelief,  their  ignorance  and 
blindness,  pressed  very  close  upon  them:  their  need  of 
Christ  and  his  Spirit  was  such,  that  there  was  no  rest  to 
be  taken  in  any  thing  here  below,  until  they  did  obtain 
an  interest  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  receive  his  Spirit,  to  pu- 
rify and  sanctify  their  hearts."* 

While  God  was  performing  these  things  in  Am  well 
and  Lawrence,  he  commenced  an  abundant  out-pouring 
of  his  Spirit,  in  the  congregation  and  town  of  Newark, 
New- Jersey,  peculiarly  upon  the  youth  of  that  place. 
Christians  in  general  were  refreshed,  and  multitudes 
of  young  sinner^  laid  under  deep  and  solemn  con- 
victions. This  divine  w^ork  progressed  steadily,  through 
the  months  of  November,  December  and  January.  In 
the  following  March,  the  "  whole  town  was  brought 
under  an  uncommon  concern  about  their  eternal  inter- 
ests, and  about  that  time,  a  considerable  number  expe- 
rienced a  saving  change." 

No  corresponding  excitement  was  felt  at  Elizabeth- 
Town,  though  very  near,  till  June,  1740,  when  the  work 
at  Newark  considerably  declined.  The  eloquent  and 
flaming  Whitefield,  had  preached  there  just  before,  it  was 
believed,  in  vain :  and  the  profound  and  pious  Dickin- 
son, their  stated  pastor,  had  appeared  to  labour  w  ith  ve- 
ry little  success.  But  God's  set  time  to  visit  this  people 
in  mercy,  had  now  come.  The  windows  of  heaven 
were  suddenly  opened,  and  a  glorious 'shower  of  grace 
was  sent  down  upon  them.     As  in  Newark,  the  impres- 

*  Vide  Letter  of  Mr.  Rowland,  in  Gillie's  Coll'e,  vol.  2,  p.  138. 


284  A  VIEW  OF 

sion  was  made  at  first  principally  upon  the  young.  The 
account  of  this  work,  by  the  great  and  venerable  pastor, 
is  very  interesting: — "Having  at  that  time  invited  the 
young  people  to  hear  a  sermon,  there  w^.s  a  numerous 
congregation  convened,  which  consisted  chiefly  of  our 
youth,  though  there  were  many  others  with  tiiem.  I 
preached  to  them  a  plain,  practical  sermon,  without  any 
special  liveliness  or  vigour:  for  I  was  then  in  a  re- 
markably dead  and  dull  frame,  till  enlivened  by  a  sud- 
den and  deep  impression,  which  visibly  appeared  upon 
the  congregation  in  general.  There  was  no  crying  out 
or  falling  down,  as  elsewhere  happened,  but  the  inward 
distress  and  concern  of  the  audience,  discovered  itself 
by  their  tears,  and  by  an  audible  sobbing  and  sighing  in 
almost  all  parts  of  the  assembly.  There  appeared  such 
tokens  of  a  solemn  and  deep  concern  as  1  never  before 
saw  in  any  congregation.  We  had  no  instances  among 
us  of  such  sudden  conversions  as  I  have  heard  of  else- 
where: but  our  new  converts  were  all  for  a  considera- 
ble time  under  a  law  work,  before  they  were  brought 
to  any  satisfying  views  of  their  interest  in  Christ,  and  the 
favour  of  God.  It  was  remarkable,  that  they  who  were 
formerly  eminent  for  religion,  were  now  greatly  quick- 
ened and  revived,  and  some  of  them  had  now  such  joy- 
ful manifestations  of  God's  love  to  their  souls,  as  they 
had  never  belore  experienced."^ 

The  regular  worship  of  God,  was  introduced  into  the 
Northern  Neck  of  Virginia,  about  1 730,  through  the  lau- 
dable exertions  of  Mr.  John  Or/^an,  a  pious  schoolmas- 
ter, of  that  place  from  Scotland,  and  a  church  was  or- 
ganized there  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Rev, 
Mr.  Anderson. 

*  Vide  Gillie's  Coil's.  toI.  2,  p.  143. 


REVITAL8.  285 

In  ir42,  the  divine  work  which  had  prospered  so  glo- 
riously in  the  eastern  states,  was  carried  by  the  divine 
Spirit  into  soire  parts  of  Pennsylvania,  and  more  espe- 
cially, into  Hanover,  in  the  state  of  Virginia.  The 
manner  of  its  commencing  there  was  very  extraordinary 
and  interesting.  Mr.  Samuel  Morris,  a  pla»)ter  of  dis- 
tinction, residing  in  Hanover,  providentially  obtained 
some  old,  pious  books,  from  rearing  which  he  became 
solemnly  concerned  for  his  soul's  salvation.  His  im- 
pressions were  cherished  by  the  divine  Spirit  till  he 
found  hope  and  comfort  in  Christ.  Piorapted  by  the 
Spirit  of  true  piety,  he  invited  his  neighbours  to  come 
to  his  house,  that  he  might  read  to  them  out  of  the  pre- 
cious volumes*  which  he  believed  had  providentially/ 
fallen  into  his  hands  and  which  had  been,  he  humbly 
trusted,  so  graciou-ly  blessed  to  his  everlasting  interests. 
His  neighbours  attended  numerously  and  very  soon, 
many  were  solemnly  impressed  and  made  hopefully  the 
subjects  of  recovering  grace.  When  his  own  house 
became  too  small  for  the  crouds  that  attended,  a  more 
convenient  building  was  prepared  for  their  accommoda- 
tion, which  was  known  extensively  by  the  name  o(  Mr. 
Morrises  Reading  House.  Soon  after  this  arrangement 
was  made,  the  leaders  of  this  company  ofanxious  inquirers 
and  devout  worshippers,  got  some  knowledge  of  the  Rev. 
William  Robinson,  a  missionary  of  the  presbytery  of 
New-Brunswick,  who  entered  Virginia  and  preached  at 
a  place  not  very  remote  from  the  Heading  House.  Mes- 
sengers were  dispatched  to  invite  Mr.  Robinson  to  come 

*  The  books  from  time  to  time  useH  in  this  manner,  were  Boston's  Fourfold 
Statp— Luthpr  on  the  Galatiana— some  of  Buiiyan's  Works— and  Whitefield'g 
Sermons ; — all  admirably  calculated  to  produce  a  eerious  and  lasting  impression 
•Q  the  mind. 


28C  A  VIEW  OP 

and  preach  to  them.  He  yielded  to  their  solicitation 
and  visisted  them  in  the  fulness  of  the  power  and  mercy 
of  the  gospel.  "  He  continued  with  us,"  says  Mr. 
Morris  in  a  letter  on  this  subject,  "preaching  four 
days  successively.  The  congregation  was  large  the  first 
day  and  vastly  increased  the  three  ensuing.  'Tis  hard 
for  the  liveliest  imagination  to  form  an  image  of  the  con- 
dition of  the  assembly  on  these  glorious  days  of  the  Son 
of  man.  Such  as  had  been  hungering  for  the  word  before 
were  lost  in  an  agreeable  surprise  and  astonishment,  and 
some  could  not  refrain  from  publicly  declaring  their^ 
transport.  IMany  that  came  through  curiosity  were 
pricked  to  the  heart  and  but  few  in  the  numerous  assem- 
blies on  these  four  days  appeared  unaffected.  They 
returned  alarmed  with  apprehensions  of  their  dangerous 
condition,  convinced  of  their  former  entire  ignorance  of 
religion  and  anxiously  inquiring  what  they  should  do  to 
be  saved."*  After  this,  the  private  use  of  the  means  of 
grace  became  more  general  and  more  effectual  there, 
A  spirit  of  inquiry  and  concern,  on  the  subject  of  reli- 
gion seemed  to  pervade  the  whole  country.  Soon  after 
the  Rev.  Messrs.  Blair,  Ptoan,  Tennent  and  Finley 
preached  at  Hanover  with  great  effect.  Whitefield 
spent  several  days  in  the  same  region,  and  his  sermons 
were  made  the  means  of  giving  additional  earnestness  to 
those  already  impressed  and  of  awakening  others  to  seek 
the  Lord.  In  a  short  season  the  Lord  was  pleased  to 
send  these  people  a  pastor  after  his  own  heart,  in  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Davies,f  under  whose  able  and  faithful  la- 

*  See  this  letter  of  Mr.  Morris,  Gillie's  Col.  vol.  2.  page  331. 
t  Afterwards  President  of  Princeton  college,  New-Jersey. 


REYIVALS.  287 

bours  the  cause  of  the  Redeemer  was  greatly  advanced 
in  that  part  of  Virginia.'^ 

About  the  same  time  and  during  a  few  of  the  following 
years,  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  display  his  power  glori- 
ously among  the  natives  of  this  country,  through  the 
missionary  services  of  the  pious  and  indefatigable  Rev. 
David  Brainerd.  These  labours  were  commenced  and 
continued  some  time  exclusively  among  the  tribes  on  the 
Delaware  and  Susquehanna  rivers,  and  they  were  at- 
tended with  many  useful  and  happy  effects  on  those  ig- 
norant and  savage  people.  But  his  efforts  among  the 
Indian  settlements  at  Crosweek's,  in  New-Jersey,  If 45, 
were  blessed  in  a  much  more  remarkable  degree.  His 
own  humble  representation  of  the  success  with  which 
he  was  honoured  in  this  important  mission,  is  very  inter- 
esting. 

"  I  discoursed  to  the  Indians,  at  tiie  place  where  T 
have  usually  preached  to  them.  There  appeared  no- 
thing very  remarkable  till  near  the  close  of  my  dis- 
course, and  then  divine  truths  w^ere  attended  with  a  sur- 
prising influence.  There  were  scarce  three  out  of  for- 
ty that  could  refrain  from  tears  and  bitter  cries.  They 
all,  as  one^  seemed  in  an  agony  of  soul,  to  obtain  an  in- 
terest in  Christ.  It  was  surprising  to  see  how  their 
hearts  seemed  to  be  pierced  with  the  tender  and  melting 
invitations  of  the  gospel."  On  the  3th  of  August,  when 
Mr.  Brainerd  preached  to  them  ap^ain,  "the  power  of 
God  seemed  to  descend  upon  the  assembly,  like  a 
rushing  mighty  wind,  and  with  an  astonishing  energy, 
bore  down  ail  before  it.     *  I  stood,'  says  he,  *  amazed  at 

*  For  a  more  ample  view  of  the  origin  and  progress  of  religion  in  Virginia, 
see  Notes  on  Virginia  by  Thomas  Jefferson,  Esq,  Query  xvii.  Memoirs  of  the 
Rev,  John  Rodgers,  D.D.  by  Samuel  Millar,  B.D.  Cliaptpr  ii, 


288  A    VIEW    OF 

the  influence  which  seized  the  audience,  almost  univer- 
sally, and  could  compare  it  to  nothing  more  aptly  than 
the  irresistible  force  of  a  mighty  torrent  or  swelling  de- 
luge. Old  men  and  women,  who  had  been  drunken 
wretches  for  many  years,  and  some  little  children,  not 
more  than  six  or  seven  years  of  age,  appeared  in  dis- 
tress for  their  souls,  as  well  as  persons  of  middle  age.*' 
A  considerable  number  of  these  poor  perishing  crea- 
tures, were  brought  to  a  saving  knowledge  and  accep- 
tance of  Christ  Jesus.  An  observation  of  this  humble 
and  heavenly  minded  missionary,  shall  close  this  ac- 
count : — "  God*s  manner  of  working  upon  them,  appear- 
ed so  entirely  supernatural,  and  above  means,  that  I 
could  scarce  believe  he  used  me  as  an  instrument,  or 
what  I  spake,  as  means  of  carrying  on  his  work.  I 
seemed  to  do  nothing,  and  indeed  to  have  nothing  to  do, 
but  stand  still  and  see  the  salvation  of  God."*  During 
the  ensuing  fall  and  winter,  a  considerable  congrega- 
tion was  collected  and  formed.  Many  adults  and  chil- 
dren were  baptized,  and  twenty-three  natives  were  ad- 
mitted to  the  holy  communion  of  the  Lord's  supper, 
whose  lives  were  exemplary  and  honourable  to  their 
Christian  profession. 

To  avoid  awakening  invidious  feelings,  and  to  keep 
within  proper  limits,  our  sketch  of  revivals  must  close 
here;  but  we  leave  the  power  and  mercy  of  God  in 
their  victorious  progress  through  the  church  and  through 
the  world.  God  has  chosen  the  close  of  the  eighteenth 
century  and  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth,  as  the  sea- 
son in  which  to  display,  with  peculiar  sovereignty  and 
glory,  the  riches  of  his  grace.     He  is  from  year  to  year, 

*  For  the  interesting  particulars  of  this  mission,  see  Lifeof  Brainerd,  hy  Pres- 
ident Edwards. 


REVIVALS. 


289 


riding  forth  in  the  chariot  of  his  everlasting  gospel,  con- 
quering and  to  conquer.  Towns  and  cities,  cultivated 
plains  and  unfrequented  deserts,  continents  and  islands, 
submit  before  him  and  hail  his  approach  ! 

On  the  whole,  from  the  preceding  view,  it  appears,  that 
God  has  always  adapted  his  dispensations  to  the  condi, 
tion  of  his  church,  to  the  state  of  the  world,  to  the  ne- 
cessities of  his  people,  and  to  the  nature  of  his  own  prom- 
ises and  purposes  respecting  the  salvation  of  men. 
Sometimes  we  see  almighty  powder  adorably  exerted  for 
the  overthrow  of  unbelief,  for  the  awakening  and  con- 
version of  sinners,  for  the  separation  and  establishment 
of  holy  communities  to  worship  and  praise  the  Lord, 
where  ignorance,  vice  and  superstition  had  lately  held 
their  throne.  Sometimes  we  see  the  Father  of  mercies 
deigning  to  visit,  to  collect,  reanimate  and  cheer  a  fee- 
ble, scattered,  declining  group  of  his  own  people,  pre- 
serving and  invigorating  the  things  that  remain,  lest  they 
may  wholly  perish.  In  some  instances,  we  see  the  hearts 
of  saints  and  sinners  both  deeply  and  simultaneously  im- 
pressed and  affected,  the  work  of  grace,  happily  advan- 
ced in  many  where  it  had  been  previously  commenced, 
and  effectually,  begun  in  others,  formerly  under  the 
deadly  dominion  of  sin  and  guilt.  Sometimes  we  see 
individuals  in  churches  and  in  communities,  richly  re- 
plenished with  grace,  animated  with  noble  and  ardent 
zeal,  and  thus  becoming,  through  tlie  signal  favour  of 
heaven,  leaders  and  champions  in  reforming,  reviving 
and  advancing  God's  earthly  kingdom,  on  a  small  or  an 
extended  scale.  And  sometimes  the  divine  Spirit  has 
been  afforded  abundantly,  in  dark  periods  of  the  world, 
to  companies  living  in  retirement  and  seclusion,  to  en 
able  them  to  resist  error,  to  preserve  *'  the  faith  deliver- 


290  A  VIEW  OF 

ed  to  the  saints" — that  they  may  become  a  source  ot 
light,  instruction  and  benefit  to  their  darkened  and 
groping  fellow  men.  This,  wherever  realized,  ought 
to  be  viewed  as  a  work  of  God's  Spirit — a  steady  and 
prevailing  operation  of  divine  grace,  against  the  en- 
croachments of  de])ravity,  delusion  and  guilt. 

We  are  not  competent,  v\  ith  all  the  lights  of  divine 
revelation,  to  delineate  with  entire  accuracy,  the  sea- 
sons and  modes,  which  the  Hob/  Spirit  will  observe  in 
accomplishing  the  eternal  purposes  of  grace  to  men. 
But  we  are  encouraged  to  believe,  that  the  Son  of  maii 
will,  at  no  distant  period,  obtain  a  great  victory  and  en- 
joy a  lasting  reign  in  this  world  over  7noral  <ind  phi/sic- 
al  evil.  In  producing  this  salutary  change,  the  "min- 
istry of  reconciliation"  will  be  the  principal  means  em- 
ployed. Missionary  associations — Bible  and  tract  soci- 
eties— Sunday  schools — institutions  for  the  instruction 
of  the  deaf  and  dumb — missionary  and  theological  semi- 
naries— prayer  meetings — reformation  and  benevolent 
societies,  will  be  made  extensively  conducive,  through 
divine  grace,  to  the  promotion  and  establisiiment  of 
Christ's  dominion  upon  earth.  This  will  be  an  awaken- 
ing and  revival,  infinitely  extended,  exalted  and  delight- 
ful, bringing  boundless  glory  to  God  and  gladness  to 
men. 

A  very  interesting  object  to  be  contemplated  in  the 
new  and  highly  improved  state  of  morals  and  religion, 
which  we  anticipate,  is  the  universal  diffusion  of  divine 
knowledge.  The  truth  of  God  shall  every  where 
abound.  Now  ignorance,  error  and  superstition  pre- 
vail, entirely,  over  a  great  part  of  the  earth,  and  hold 
their  dominion,  lamentably  in  the  most  enlightened 
countries.     How  many  nations  are  without  God  and 


REVIVALS.  291 

without  Christ  in  the  world,  sittinc;  in  the  dark  vale 
of  the  shadow  of  spiritual  death,  perishing  for  lack 
of  knowledge  !  Then,  the  earth  shall  he  full  of  the 
knojvledgc  of  the  Lord  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea.^ 
Jesus  Christ,  now  so  unknown  and  neglected,  will  be 
the  object  of  universal  inquiry  and  admiration.  The 
gospel  will  be  possessed  and  read,  by  every  people  and 
in  every  tongue,  as  the  only  source  of  true  wisdt)m  and 
enjoyment: — it  will  be  received  and  cherished  rs  the 
word  of  God  widch  workHh  effectualhj  in  them  that  hc' 
ZfeDe,f  producing  faith  and  penitence,  obedience  and 
holiness. 

In  consequence  of  the  universal  diffusion  of  knowl- 
edge and  piety,  the  principles  of  justice  and  benevo- 
lence, will  generally  prevail  among  men.  Deception 
and  violence  shall,  in  a  great  measure,  cease — fraud  and 
malice  disappear — and  the  great  precept  of  our  Lord 
be  universally  observed,  "Whatsoever  ye  would  that 
men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them."t  now- 
delightful,  when  humanity,  forgiveness  and  mercy,  shall 
be  as  widely  difTused  as  the  dews  of  Heaven  ! — What  an 
immense  impi-ovement  in  the  moral  face  of  things — what 
an  accession  to  the  happiness  of  human  societ}' — how 
unlike  the  dissentions  in  families  and  communities  which 
distract  the  world — what  an  advance  towards  human 
perfection — how  near  an  approach  to  the  harmony  and 
bliss  of  heaven! 

It  will  be  a  season  of  general  peace  on  earth.  The 
prophetic  declarations  on  this  subject,  are  very  nume- 
rous and  very  strong  : — "  Nations  shall  beat  their 
swords  into  plough-shares,  and  their  spears  into  pruning 

*  Isai.  xi.  p.  !•  I  Thcs.  \\.  13.  %  Mat.  vii.  12. 


292  A  VIEW  OF 

hooks:  nation  shall  not  lift  up  sword  against  nation, 
neither  shall  they  learn  war  any  more.^  But  they  shall 
sit  every  man  under  his  vine  and  under  his  fig  tree,  and 
none  shall  make  them  afraid. f  The  wolf  also  shall 
dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard  shall  lie  down  with 
the  kid,  and  the  calf  and  the  young  lion  and  the  failing 
together,  and  a  little  child  shall  lead  them."J  A  great 
part  of  the  earth,  is  now  inhabited  by"'  fierce,  savage 
tribes,  who  delight  in  war  and  glory  in  shedding  human 
blood.  Ferocity  and  violence  are  cherished  among 
them  as  the  most  honorable  characteristics  of  their  na- 
ture, and  transmitted  as  an  invaluable  heritage,  from 
generativ:>n  to  generation.  But  their  savage  passions 
shall  be  subdued  by  heavenly  grace.  The  peaceful 
Spirit  of  God  shall  reign  in  their  hearts  and  in  their 
councils.  The  plundering  Arab — the  migratory  Tar- 
tar— the  barbarous  Indian — the  debased  African JJ — the 
brutal  Hottentot^ — the  treacherous  Malay — shall  be 
united  to  the  now  civilized  nations  of  the  earth  in  joy- 
ful bonds  of  harmony,  mutual  confidence  and  recipro- 
cal kindness.  Civil  government  will  probably  exist,  in 
this  millennial  period,  but  receive  much  less  attention 
than  it  does  at  present.  It  may  be,  and  indeed,  it  seems 
not  improbable,  that  the  whole  world  will  be  governed 
as  the  Jews  formerly  were,  under  a  Thcocracj/f  God 
himself  acting  as  the  Supreme  Magistrate  and  execu- 
ting his  holy  pleasure,  by  persons  specially  called  and 
appointed.  It  seems  evident,  that  there  will  be  very  little 
occasion  for  laws  and  civil  officers,  when  wickedness  shall 

*  Isai.  ii.  4.     Mic.  iv,  3.  -J-  Mic.  iv.  4.  \  Isai.  xi.  6. 

6  By  this  is  meant  more  especially  the  African  IWgro. 


REVIVALS.  293 

generally  cease,  and  righteousness  every  where  prevail. 
There  will  arise  differences  of  opinion  between  indi- 
viduals and  communities  respecting  property  and  rights, 
but  these  diflerences,  it  may  be  reasonably  presumed, 
will  be,  in  general,  amicably  adjusted  by  referring  them 
to  the  decision  of  a  common  earthly  umpire,  or  to  God 
himself,  who  may  judge  and  decide  between  the  parties. 
If  any  forms  of  government  and  codes  of  laws  shall  re- 
main, they  will  exist,  principally,  as  a  terror  to  the  few 
who  may  persist  in  doing  evil,  and  they  will  generally 
lie  in  a  dormant  state,  ready  to  be  awakened  and  em- 
ployed, if  returning  iniquity  should  require  it. 

When  we  consider  that  diabolical^  influence  in  tempt- 
ing and  deceiving  men,  will  be  greatly  diminished,  if 
not  entirely  prevented,  through  this  happy  period— when 
we  reflect  how  much  more  constant  and  vigorous,  hu- 
man attention,  to  divine  things,  will  become,  when  war,  ci- 
vil government,  indolent  repose  and  schemes  of  ambition, 
of  pleasure  and  of  vice,  shall  cease  to  engross  the  mind 
and  to  alienate  it  from  God — and,  especially,  when  we 
realize,  how  abundantly  and  triumphantly  God  will  pour 
out  his  Spirit  into  the  hearts  of  men — we  may  reasonably 
expect  that  Christians  will  then  attain  to  exalted  and  un- 
paralleled degrees  of  holiness  and  of  maturity  in  every 
pious  grace  and  virtue.  The  true  worship,  faithfal  obe- 
dience and  ardent  love  of  God,  will  occupy  the  hearts 
and  lives  of  all  ranks  and  ages  of  men.  The  acceptable 
incense  of  unfeigned  devotion  shall  ascend  from  every 
habitation  of  men,  to  the  Father  of  mercies.  Every 
tongue  shall  break  out  in  evangelic  strains  and  the  whole 
human   race,  in  one  grand  chorus  raise  the  glad  song, 

*  Rev.  XX.    r;' 


294  ~  A  VIEW   OF 

"  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good 
will  to  men  !" 

Physical  changes,  corresponding  with  these  moral  and 
religious  improvements,  it  appears  rational  to  anticipate. 
When  the  human  race,  universally,  shall  become  obedi- 
ent and  holy,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  the  ex- 
tremes of  heat  and  cold,  of  wet  and  dry,  and  various 
other  evil  consequences  of  sin,  will  be  either  totally 
remedied,  or  experienced  in  a  much  smaller  degree, 
and  that  the  seasons  will  become  uniformly  serene  and 
pleasant,  and  the  earth  generally  productive.  It  is  dif- 
ficult indeed,  to  conceive  how  so  great  a  change  can  be 
speedily  produced.  But  will  not  the  effects  of  human 
population,  industry  and  ingenuity,  carried  to  perfec- 
tion, be  exceedingly  great  and  manifest,  in  ameliorating 
and  beautifying  the  face  of  the  earth,  in  cJianging  the  ir- 
regularity, and  in  moderating  the  severity  of  the  seasons? 
When  the  vast  forests  and  thickets,  which  in  some  pla- 
ces exist,  come  to  be  cut  down  and  cleared  out- — w^hen 
extensive  morasses  and  swamps,  in  other  places,  shall  be 
drained — when  canals  shall  be  cut,  and  streams  opened, 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  off  the  offensive  matter  col- 
lected in  some  places,  and  to  water  other  dry  and  thirs- 
ty regions  of  the  earth — when  agriculture  shall  be  car- 
ried to  the  highest  possible  degree  of  perfection  ;  what 
inconceivable  changes  in  the  climate  and  fertility  of  the 
earth,  will  not  all  this  create?  But  if  human  and  ordi- 
nary means  are  not  deemed  sufficient  to  effect  the  alter- 
ations contemplated,  why  may  we  not  expect  divine  in- 
terposition, to  "comfort  mankind  concerning  their  work 
and  the  toil  of  their  hands,  because  of  the  ground  which 
the  Lord  hath  cursed"  1^     How  easily  could  he  pro- 

*  Gen.  V.  29. 


REVIVALS.  295 

duce  the  greatest  changes,  by  the  operation  of  natural 
causes,  without  the  appearance  of  any  thing  miracu- 
lous ?  A  small  alteration  in  the  elements  above  us, 
might  easily  produce  the  happiest  consequences,  all  the 
improvements  that  we  anticipate  in  the  temperature  and 
fertility  of  the  globe.  A  change  in  the  air,  in  the  winds, 
in  the  dews,  in  the  rains— how  extensive  might  be  its 
effects!  how  extensively  might  it  contribute  to  bring 
about  the  ameliorations  we  predict!  how  readily  might 
it  make  fountains  of  living  waters  break  forth  in  deso- 
late places,  and  deserts  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose  ! 
When  the  children  of  men  universally,  shall  be  made 
sons  of  God,  shall  not  the  tempests,  hurricanes  and 
earthquakes,  which  now  with  awful  voice  declare  the 
majesty  and  wrath  of  God,  cease  to  agitate  and  desolate 
the  earth  ?  The  probability  of  this  happy  change  in 
the  earth,  is  rendered  very  strong,  by  the  recollection 
that  God,  in  his  providence,  has  always  acted  agreeably 
to  his  ancient  determination,  to  bestow  temporal  bless- 
ings upon  those  individuals  and  nations  who  were  obe- 
dient and  holy.  He  threatened  his  ancient  people  with 
earthly  judgments,  in  case  they  should  rebel  against 
him :  and  he  promised  fruitful  seasons,  abundance  and 
length  of  days,  to  those  who  should  be  persevering  and 
faithful  in  his  service.  In  administering  his  govern- 
ment, he  acts  upon  the  same  principles  still.  And  when 
mankind  in  general  shall,  through  the  grace  of  God,  be 
restored  from  the  ruins  of  the  fall,  then  will  he  release 
the  earth,  in  a  great  measure,  from  the  curse  inflicted 
on  account  of  their  apostacy  (rom  him.  It  will  be 
no  more  difRcult  for  God  to  repair  the  ruins  of  the  earth, 
and  to  renovate  the  atmosphere,  than  it  was  for  him  af- 
ter the  rebellion  of  man,  whom  he  had  placed  on  this 


"296  A  VIEW  OF 

globe,  to  mar  its  beauty,  to  interrupt  its  regular  genial 
seasons,  and  to  suspend  its  constant  and  universal  fertili- 
ty. Thus  Avill  be  fulfilled  the  promise  of  God  : — "  Be- 
hold, I  create  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth  :  and  the 
former  shall  not  be  remembered,  nor  come  into  mind."^ 

In  consequence  of  the  changes  predicted,  it  appears 
highly  probable,  that  men  in  general  will  enjoy  uniform 
health  and  long  life  upon  earth.  The  diseases  which 
now  afflict  and  destroy  our  race,  proceed  principally 
from  the  impurity  of  our  atmosphere,  the  sudden  transi- 
tions from  heat  to  cold  and  wet  to  dry,  and  from  the  ir- 
regularity of  our  habits.  But  when  uniform  mildness 
shall  take  place  in  our  climate,  and  regularity  appear  in 
the  course  of  the  seasons — v/hen  plenty  shall  be  enjoy- 
ed over  the  face  of  the  whole  earth — and  when  early, 
habitual  and  general  industry,  piety,  temperance  and 
joy  shall  prevail — how  extensive  must  be  their  united 
influence,  in  promoting  length  of  days,  among  our  frail 
and  short  lived  race !  Then  will  the  prophecy  be  ful- 
filled :  ^*  As  the  days  of  a  tree  are  the  days  of  my  peo- 
ple, and  mine  elect  shall  long  enjoy  the  work  of  their 
hands."f 

Another  consequence,  of  the  alterations  we  expect, 
will  be,  an  immense  increase  in  the  population  of  the 
world.  When  the  days  of  man  shall  be  lengthened  to 
the  antediluvian  age— when  famine  and  pestilence  shall 
no  more  devour  the  children  of  men — when  the  cor- 
rupt and  cruel  practices  of  some  eastern  nations  of  de- 
stroying infants  and  sacrificing  adults  through  vice  and 
superstition,  shall  be  abandoned — when  wars  shall  cease, 
and  tyrants  no  more  deluge  countries  in  human  blood—- 

*=  (sa.  Ixv.  17.  ^  Isa.  hv,  22. 


iiEV*IVALS.  29/ 

when  pride  and  excess  shall  disappear — when  the  air 
shall  be  universally  pure  and  healthful,  and  the  earth  ex- 
ceedingly productive — when  the  waters  which  now 
hide  two-thirds  of  the  surface  of  the  globe  from  our 
view,  shall  bear  along  floating  mansions  for  multitudes 
of  ourfeJlow  creatures,  deriving  subsistence  from  their 
traffic  with  the  surrounding  shores,  and  from  the  bosom 
of  th«  tranquil  deeps  beneath — how  large  indeed  will 
be  the  number  of  the  human  race  in  this  long  and  happy 
period! 

It  is  really  delightful  also  to  reflect  hov7  beautiful  man- 
kind will  generally  become  in  the  season  of  universal 
change  and  perfect  reformation,  here  contemplated.  No 
^A'here  do  we  meet  with  more  striking  and  aiTecting  dis- 
plays of  divine  wrath  and  of  human  depravitj^^  than  in  the 
form  and  face  of  man.  In  some,  what  shocking  deformity, 
what  horrible  expression  of  brutal  passion! — In  many, 
what  want  of  regularity,  mildness  and  benevolence! — 
In  most,  what  weakness  and  dulness ! — how  little  of  real 
loveliness  and  goodness! — But  in  the  improved  condi- 
tion of  things  approaching,  there  will  be  a  surprising 
and  delightful  amelioration  of  the  human  countenance. 
The  irregularities  and  deformities,  which  now  appear, 
proceed  from  the  operation  of  disease  and  vice,  either 
on  the  individuals  possessing  them,  or  from  their  previ- 
ous effects  upon  the  parents..  But  when  health,  activi- 
ty, frugality,  intelligence  and  piety  shall  all  operate 
from  early  life  aud  be  continued  from  generation  to 
generation, — what  regular  proportion,  what  elegance 
and  dignity,  of  form — in  the  countenance,  what  sereni- 
t}",  what  perfection  of  features,  w^iat  S3'mmetrv  of  parts, 
whatglow^and  colouring- — inthe  eye,  what  sparkling  and 
animation,  whnt  intelligence  and   cxprci^s inn—on.  (he 

38 


298  SKETCH    OF 

whole,  what  elevated  and  transporting  beauty  in  man, 
must  result  from  the  operation  of  so  many  causes ! — 
Then  will  men  probably  recover  in  a  considerable  de- 
gree, their  primeval  form  and  comeliness.  However, 
although  delightful,  beyond  expression,  to  every  be- 
holder, yet  Avill  this  consummate  beauty  be  little  val- 
ued. 

A  great  and  corresponding  change  will  take  place  in 
the  occupations  and  employments  of  men.  No  arts  of 
war  wili  then  be  studied.  There  will  be  few  physicians 
and  probably  no  professors  of  the  law.  With  regard  to 
dancing  masters,  theatres,  and  stage  players,  the  scene 
will  be  closed.  Teachers  of  the  truth  and  ministers  of 
the  gospel  will  be  very  numerous  and  highly  honoured. 
Innocent  and  industrious  traders  from  land  to  land  will 
probably  exist.  There  will  be  constant  necessity  for 
mechanical  skill  and  labour.  Cultivators  of  the  earth 
will  every  where  abound.  But  the  chief  business 
which  will  interest  the  feelings  and  occupy  the  hearts 
of  mortals  will  be  the  service,  the  love,  and  the  praise 
of  God  and  the  Redeemer. 

How  delightful  and  animating  the  prospect  with 
which  Christian  faith  and  hope  are  here  presented! 
Are  then  these  grand  results,  these  inestimable  blessings, 
on  the  condition  of  mankind,  to  proceed  from  the  gene- 
ral diffusion  of  the  grace  of  God  ?  And  is  this  to  be 
promoted,  by  the  diligent  and  faithful  use  of  the  means 
of  grace  which  God  has  appointed  in  connexion  with 
the  sincere,  fervent  and  persevering  prayers  of  Zion 
and  of  all  her  children  ? — In  whose  heart,  is  not  the 
strong  desire  for  this  glorious  event  already  enkindled  I 
Whose  lips  shall  not  utter  fervently  and  constantly  the 
evangelic  prayer  "  Thy  kingdom  come"  ?  "Even  so, 
come  Lord  Jesus  T'     Amen. 


NOTE  I. 


IMPORTANCE  OF  EMPLOYING  GOOD 
ENGLISH  TEACHERS. 


Xeaciiers  of  English  schools  have  in  many  situations 
great  opportunity,  by  their  example  and  conversation, 
to  influence  the  opinions  and  conduct  of  both  parents 
and  children.  In  general,  they  enjoy  free  access  to  the 
persons  and  families  of  those  whose  children  they  in- 
struct:— they  often  possess  a  degree  of  intelligence  and 
shrewdness  which  give  them  some  influence,  even  when 
radically  corrupt : — and  they  are  often,  especially  in 
retired  places,  among  uncultivated  people,  who  do  not 
discriminate  character  nicely,  considered  in  some  de- 
gree as  standards  of  correct  principle  and  deportment. 
Their  influence  with  the  children,  which  is  more  certain 
and  extensive,  arises  from  their  relation  to  them,  au- 
thority over  them,  and  constant  intercourse  with  theme 
Peculiar  care  should  therefore  be  exercised,  by  those 
who  have  the  superintendence  of  these  important  insti- 
tutions, to  prevent  unprincipled,  ignorant  and  vicious 
teachers,  whose  influence  may  be  so  pernicious  in  prop- 
agating error  and  vice,  from  being  employed  in  them. 
Trustees  and  all  persons  concerned  in  schools,  should 
endeavour  as  far  as  possible,  to  engage,  for  teachers, 
men  of  such  moral  principles  and  habits,  as  they  would 


;>0U  ijiM'onTA:«CK  of  employixC; 

wish  their  own  children  to  acquire.  The  iiDprcssionf 
and  biases  of  children  in  regard  to  moral  conduct,  are 
received  and  formed  very  ea,rly.  They  are  strongly 
prone  to  imitation.  They  will  graduilly  conform 
themselves  to  the  example  which  is  daily  exhibited  be- 
fore their  eyes,  by  one,  whom  they  are  taught  to  respect 
and  obey.  AVhen  children  find  themselves  placed  un- 
der the  control  and  culture  of  immoral  men,  it  is  nei- 
ther unnatural  nor  difiicult,  for  them  to  draw  the  infer- 
ence, that  their  parents  and  guardians  care  very  little 
about  good  principles  and  habits,  provided  their  chil- 
dren progress  in  their  education: — this  inference  once 
made,  respect  for  their  parents  and  friends  around  them, 
and  the  natural  propensity  to  evil,  will  lead  to  another 
more  pernicious,  that  moral  principles  and  virtues  are 
things  of  little  value,  in  themselves;  and  then  these 
young  learners  and  reasoners  are  prepared  to  become 
prompt  imitators  of  vice,  and  apt  disciples  in  the  school 
of  iniquity. 

Besides,  what  security  is  there,  in  employing  men  of 
corrupt  niorals,  or  even  of  suspicious  character,  that 
they  will  conscientiously  and  faithfully  endeavour,  to 
forward  their  little  pupils  in  obtaining  the  elements  of 
education.  How  great  must  the  difference  be,  in  the 
discharge  of  the  duties  of  their  station,  between  teach- 
ers who  have  no  characters  to  support,  who  are  desti- 
tute of  moral  principle,  and  whose  minds  are  already 
brol^en  dov/n  and  their  hearts  hardened  by  vice — and 
teachers  who  have  a  character  at  stake  and  prospects 
before  them,  whose  powers  and  feelings,  principles  and 
hopes,  are  alive  and  active !  AVhenever  a  teacher  is 
wanted,  one  ought  to  be  sought  for  who  possesses  the 
necessary  moral  as    well  as  literary  qualifications-— a 


GOOD    ENGLISH    TEACHERS.  301 

man  who  will  probably  be  actuated  not  merely  by  a 
regard  to  present  convenience,  interest  or  necessity,  but 
by  a  regard  to  character,  by  just  views  of  his  own  fu- 
ture interests,  by  feelings  of  rectitude  and  a  sense  of 
duty.  Negligence  on  this  subject  is  often  attended 
w^ith  the  most  injurious  and  unhappy  consequences. 


NOTE  J. 

PROPRIETY   OF  USING  THE  BIBLE  IN 
ENGLISH   SCHOOLS. 


It  cannot  be  too  deeply  and  seriously  regretted,  that  the 
Bible  has  been,  so  generally,  excluded  from  common 
use,  in  our  English  schools,  and  that  many  judicious 
and  even  pious  people,  should  have,  unwisely  and  un- 
happily, concurred  in  this  infidel  measure,  unconscious 
of  its  corrupt  origin  and  destructive  tendency. 

AVhat  book  is  so  suitable  to  be  put  into  the  hands  of  a 
child,  as  the  Sacred  Scriptures  ? — Children  very  early 
manifest  a  degree  of  curiosity,  respecting  the  origin,  the 
history,  and  the  destination,  of  this  world,  which,  from  the 
Bible,  may  be  fully,  agreeably  and  profitably,  gratified. 
Here  also  are  revealed  those  sacred  truths,  and  princi- 
ples of  duty,  a  knowledge  of  which  it  is  of  the  highest 
importance,  that  their  uninformed  and  susceptible 
minds,  should  very  early  acquire.  The  grandeur,  nov- 
elty and  variety  contained  in  sacred  history,  are  found 
to  be,  in  general,  extremely  interesting  to  young  minds. 
No  other  book  presents  scenes  so  tender  and  affecting  as 
many  recorded  in  the  Old  and  New  Testament.  The  style 
and  language  of  Scripture,  are  various,  adapted  peculiar- 
ly to  the  different  capacities,  ages  and  improvements  of 
children  and  youth :  and  in  general  the  plainness,  of 
the  truths  conveyed,  corresponds  with  the  simplicity  of 


t^04:  TROrRlKTV  OF  USING  THE  BIBLF. 

the  style.  A  judicious  and  attentive  teacher  can,  there- 
fore profitably,  use  the  sacred  volume  for  the  purpose  of 
teaching  his  little  learners  how  to  read  ;  and  he  may 
lead  them  gradually  onward  and  upward,  as  they  ad- 
vance in  years^  knowledge  and  reflection.  The  divine 
account  of  the  work  of  creation  and  of  the  fall  of  man, 
of  the  life  of  the  patriarchs  and  of  the  first  migrations 
and  settlements  of  men,  is  wonderfully  simple  and  easy 
to  be  understood.  The  book  of  Proverbs  abounds  with 
wisdom  and  piety,  in  so  plain,  concise  and  comprehen- 
sive a  form,  that  a  child  of  (ew  years,  may  here  by  a 
mere  exercise  of  memory,  acquire  in  a  few  short  senten- 
ces, a  most  valuable  mass  of  useful  knowledge,  on  eve- 
ry subject,  of  human  life  and  conduct.  The  Psalms  of 
David  are  pious,  familiar  and  devout,  calculated  to 
teach  the  infant  tongue  to  utter  the  penitential  com- 
plaint, the  prayer  of  faith  and  the  praises  of  God. 
The  gospel  history  possesses  every  quality  necessary  to 
please  and  interest,  to  inform  and  aflect,  to  impress  and 
improve,  the  youngest  and  most  untutored  reader.  The 
writings  of  the  prophets  are  figurative,  elevated  and 
sublime  in  sentiment  and  expression,  adapted  to  strong- 
er powers  and  higher  improvements.  The  Epistles  of 
Paul,  which  exhibit  the  mighty  movements  of  a  strong 
and  inspired  intellect,  exploring  and  developing  diffi- 
cult and  solemn  subjects,  afibrd  scope  for  the  exercise 
of  more  vigour  and  cultivation  of  mind.  The  Bible,  so 
full  of  every  thing  sacred,  attracting  and  useful,  can  be 
purchased  on  terms  incomparably  more  cheap  and  ad- 
vantageous than  any  other  book.  Considerations  of 
propriety  and  interest,  of  utility  and  duty,  call  there- 
fore imperiously  for  the  restoration  of  the  sacred  vol- 
ume to  conimon  use  as  a  school  book. 


IN  ENGLISH    SCHOOLS.  305 

God  in  infinite  wisdom  and  mercy  is  now  remedying 
the  evils  resulting  from  human  delusion  and  remissness 
on  this  subject,  by  causing  Bibles  to  be  multiplied  and 
diffused  with  great  abundance  and  rapidity  through  ev- 
ery part  of  our  land  and  through  the  whole  world. 
While  we  co-operate  with  God  and  associate  with  men, 
in  this  great  and  benevolent  work,  shall  we  not  give  the 
sacred  volume  to  our  dear  children  as  soon  as  they  be- 
come capable  of  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  its  sacred 
truths  ? 

The  objection  sometimes  urged,  that  children  acquire 
a  disrespect  and  disgust  for  the  Bible,  by  being  com- 
pelled to  use  it,  so  much,  in  the  beginning  and  progress 
of  their  education,  is  believed  to  be  unsupported  by  fact 
and  by  rational  reflection.  The  knowledge  they  thus 
obtain,  has  a  direct  tendency  to  form  in  their  minds  cor- 
rect views  and  favourable  impressions  respecting  reveal- 
ed truth  and  human  duty,  and  often  produces  effects 
most  salutary  and  happy  to  them  through  life.  The 
truth  is,  with  regard  to  the  greater  part  of  those  chil- 
dren who  compose  common  country  schools,  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Bible  which  they  thus  acquire,  by  reading 
it  as  an  exercise,  is  almost  the  only  knowledge  they  ev- 
er obtain,  of  this  inestimable  volume.  How  inconceiv- 
ably important  then  is  it,  that  it  should  be  daily  in  their 
hands,  through  all  their  period  of  instruction  ! — In  rela- 
tion to  others  of  more  favoured  circumstances  and  bet- 
ter prospects,  the  knowledge  of  sacred  truth  thus  ac- 
quired, and  the  familiar  acquaintance,  with  scripture 
history  and  scripture  language,  thus  obtained,  facilitate 
all  their  subsequent  religious  studies,  and  lay  a  founda- 
tion for  the  most  Interesting  and  useful  improvements, 
in  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  of  his  revealed  will. 


NOTE  K. 


EXCELLENCE  OF  THE  BIBLE  CLASS  SYSTEM. 


Among  the  numerous  plans  that  have  been  devised  and 
adopted,  in  recent  years,  for  the  diffusion  of  scriptural 
knowledge,  for  the  propagation  of  evangelic  principles, 
and  the  promotion  of  pure  morals,  among  all  classes  of 
people  and  especially  among  the  youth,  there  is  none 
which  promises  advantages,  so  immediate,  important 
and  extensive,  as  that  of  "  forming  classes  of  young 
people  for  studying  and  reciting  the  Bible." 

The  subjects  of  instruction  suggested  in  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  general  assembly,  are  very  various 
and  comprehensive — suited  to  the  different  ages,  capa- 
cities, improvements,  and  circumstances,  of  the  pupils. 
The  particular  manner  of  conducting  this  new  and  im- 
proved department  of  pious  education,  is  judiciously 
left  to  the  discretion  of  those  who  may  have  the  super- 
intendence and  management  of  it,  in  individual  cases. 
But  under  whatever  different  modifications  it  may  be 
attempted,  if  the  spirit  of  the  system  be  retained  and 
cherished — if  the  plan  be  generally  adopted  and  pursu- 
ed With  any  considerable  degree  of  care  and  persever- 
ance, it  will  produce  results  most  beneficial  to  the 
minds  and  manners  of  the  classes  themselves.,  and  gradu- 
ally on  the  whole  body  of  the  church  and  state  of  soci- 
ety. 


308  EXCELLENCE   OF    THE 

If  knowledge  be  desirable,  the  noblest,  the  purest 
and  the  best  knowledge,  is  most  desirable.  If  this 
knowledge  be  important  either  for  the  purpose  of  use- 
fulness or  of  enjoyment,  of  being  guarded  against  error 
^and  vice,  or  established  and  advanced  in  ways  of  well 
doing,  the  sooner  it  is  acquired  the  better. 

"  Wherewith  shall  a  young  man  cleanse  his  way  ?  By- 
taking  heed  thereto  according  to  thy  word."     Ps.    116. 

Is  there  not  a  strong  propensity  in  the  great  mass  of 
Christian  people,  to  derive  their  religious  knowledge 
and  faith,  credulously  and  implicitly,  from  the  repre- 
sentations of  men,  and  the  public  discourses  of  ministers 
of  the  gospel,  without  "  searching  the  Scriptures,  wheth- 
er tho?e  things  are  so  ?" — This  system  of  instruction,  so 
far  as  introduced,  tends  to  bring  all  concerned  as  teach- 
ers or  learners,  of  every  age,  directly  to  the  original 
source  of  knowledge  and  fountain  of  true  light,  to  see 
with  their  own  eyes  and  learn  with  their  own  under- 
standings. 

Is  it  not  found  from  experience  and  observation,  that 
far  the  greater  part  of  persons  in  the  inferior  and  even 
middle  ranks  of  fortune,  who  become  heads  of  families 
and  engaged  in  the  cares  of  the  world,  enjoy  very  little 
opportunity  for  acquiring  knowledge  and  for  general  im- 
provement— th<  t  from  want  of  early  habits  of  attention 
and  some  elementary  principles  of  pious  cultivation,  on 
which  to  conuiience,  they  have  very  little  inclination  and 
capacity  for  study — and  that  consequently,  they  remain  in 
general  deplorably  destitute  of  this  most  useful  and  in- 
dispensable knowiedge  ?  This  plan  of  instruction  is  in- 
tended and  calculated  to  remedy  these  evils — to  store 
the  youthful  mind  with  these  elementary  principles — 
to  create  these  early  habits  of  inquiry  and  reflection — 


BIBLE    CLASS    SYSTEM.  309 

and  thus  to  furnish  and  prepare  men  to  proceed  with 
ease  and  comfort,  in  the  various  relations  and  duties  of 
life. 

Is  it  not  obvious,  that  the  ministry  of  reconciliation 
to  be  received  and  enjoyed  in  ail  its  excellence  and  ad 
vantage,  requires  previous  acquaintance  with  the  sub 
jects  of  public  discussion  and  in  various  respects,  pre 
paratory,  culture  and  discipline,  of  the  mind  and  char- 
acter ? — How  admirably  is  the  method  here  proposed 
calculated  to  furnish  the  improven^ents,  dispositions  and 
qualifications  necessary,  profitably  to  attend  on  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel ! 

Is  it  desirable,  as  far  as  possible  to  give  uniformity,  in 
faith  and  practice,  in  form  and  spirit,  to  the  Presby- 
terian Church  and  body  ?  What  could  more  happily 
and  effectually  tend  to  make  them  of  one  heart  and  mind, 
than  this  mode,  of  instruction,  commenced  and  continued 
through  the  whole  church,  by  pastors  and  teachers,  for 
the  most  part,  possessing  similar  views  of  Scripture  his- 
tory and  doctrine,  and  formed  on  the  same  evangelic 
Christian  model  ! — 

Perhaps  one  of  the  greatest  advantages  resulting  from 
this  study  will  consist  in  bringing  youth,  early,  to  em- 
ploy their  thoughts  on  serious  and  sacred  subjects,  to 
search  the  Scriptures,  inquire  into  their  meaning  and 
reflect  upon  their  excellence  and  importance.  By  the 
study  of  the  divine  word,  the  youthful  mind  may  be 
early  brought  to  possess  just  and  elevating  views  of  the 
infinite  God,  in  his  works  of  creation  providence  and 
grace — be  disposed  and  enabled  to  trace  his  wisdom, 
power  and  beneficence  through  the  lapse  of  past  ages — 
and  be  led  to  recognise  Jehovah  in  the  revolutions  and 
events  of  every  year  and  bear  within  it  solemn  impres- 


310  KXCELLENCK  OF  THE 

sions  of  his  infinite  perfection  and  awful  majesty.  I» 
this  manner  the  subjects  of  duty,  the  realities  of  futu- 
rity, and  the  idea  of  personal  concern  in  this  great  sys- 
tem of  revelation,  will  be  made  more  near  and  impres- 
sive to  the  understanding  and  heart. 

From  a  general  view  of  the  subject,  and  from  several 
years  experience  of  its  operation  on  the  youthful  pupil, 
is  there  not  also  good  reason  to  hope  that  the  Bible  stu- 
dy may  be  made  a  substitute  for  many  of  the  vain  and 
frivolous  amusements,  whose  prevalence  is  so  detri- 
mental and  deplorable?  Hoav  delightful  would  it  be, 
could  the  subjects  of  Bible  recitation  be  made  the  theme 
of  social  converse  and  friendly  interview,  in  the  occa- 
sional meetings  and  assemblies  of  the  young  I ! 

Christian  pastors,  who  faithfully  pursue  this  plan  of 
instruction,  will  soon  have  the  happiness  to  see  around 
them,  considerable  numbers  of  individuals,  instructed 
and  accomplished  in  the  most  important  and  useful 
truth,  intelligent  and  agreeable  companions  and  able 
assistants  in  their  arduous  cares.  Besides,  from  the  gra- 
cious manner  in  which  God  has  regarded  and  prospered 
this  measure,  in  many  instances  already,  is  there  not  en- 
couragement to  hope,  that  it  will  prove  an  efficient  in- 
strument, to  prepare  the  Avay  of  the  Lord,  to  facilitate 
and  promote  the  work  of  the  ministry,  to  build  up  the 
church  of  Christ,  and  to  accomplish  God's  purposes  of 
grace  to  man? 

The  church  will  have  reason  to  rejoice  in  the  change 
produced  by  this  system,  wherever  it  is  faithfully  pursu- 
ed. Her  sons  and  daughters  will  be  better  instructed 
in  the  things  of  Christ's  kingdom.  Her  affairs  will  be 
conducted  in  a  more  prudent  and  successful  manner. 
Her  institutions  will  be  more  highly  estimated  because 


BIBLE  CLASS  SVSTEM.  311 

better  understood.  Ilcr  necessities  will  be  more 
promptly  and  abundantly  supplied,  from  men  enlighten- 
ed and  liberalized,  by  a  correct  knowledge,  of  the  gos- 
pel plan,  and  of  ecclesiastical  ordinances  and  privileges. 

The  Bible  presents  to  learners  of  every  age,  capacity 
and  taste,  subjects  of  inconceivable  vastness,  variety 
and  interest.  It  commends  itself  to  the  attention,  by  in- 
numerable charms  and  attractions,  to  be  found  no  where 
else.  The  opinion  of  Sir  William  Jones,  one  of  the 
most  learned  and  excellent  men  of  his  age,  ought  to  in- 
fluence every  judgment  on  this  subject.  *'  I  have  regu- 
larly and  attentively  read,"  says  he,  '*  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, and  am  of  opinion  that  this  volume,  independent- 
ly of  its  divine  origin,  contains  more  sublimity  and  beau- 
t}-,  purer  moralit}/,  more  important  history,  and  finer 
strains  of  poetry  and  eloquence,  than  can  be  collected 
from  all  other  books,  in  whatever  age  or  language  they 
may  have  been  composed." 

Finally,  as  the  principal  ground,  upon  which  this  vol- 
ume demands  htmian  attention,  and  is  recommended  to 
be  made  the  subject  of  youthful  study,  let  it  be  remem- 
bered, that  it  is  of  divine  origin — that  it  contains  a  per- 
feet  system  of  sacred  truth — a  revelation  of  divine  wis- 
dom and  grace,  to  a  world  in  darkness  and  ruins — a  re* 
cord  of  events^  perhaps,  the  most  astonishing,  admirable 
and  glorious,  which  the  universe  has  ever  beheld,  or 
will  behold. 


NOTE  I... 
DIALOGUES  ON  THP:  AFRICAN  COLONY. 

The  following  conversations,  taken  from  *'  The  Un- 
ion" of  June  1818,  upon  the  subject  of  colonizing-  tlic 
free  people  of  colour,  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa, 
contain  a  comprehensive  and  candid  view,  of  that  be- 
nevolent and  interesting  enterprise  : — 

Dialogues  betjveen  William  Pcn?i,  Paul  Cufcc,  and 
Absalom  Jones, 

Paul  Cuffee. — At  leasts  Mr.  Penn,  in  this  world  of 
spirits  to  which  we  have  now  attained,  it  is  of  no  ad- 
vantage or  disadvantage  to  us,  that  while  we  remained 
on  earth  we  were  shone  upon  by  a  milder  or  more 
burning  sun,  and  that  our  complexion  was  of  a  darker 
or  lighter  hue.  Distinctions  and  prejudices  arising  out 
of  such  trivial  circumstances  as  the  colour  of  a  skin  or 
the  peculiar  form  of  our  features,  are  not  recognised  or 
allowed  in  Paradise,  where  the  happiness  we  enjoy  is 
proportioned  only  to  the  good  which  we  have  done  in 
life,  and  the  purity  of  those  motives  that  influenced  our 
conduct. 

Penn, — Yes,  Mr.  Cuffee,  I  assure  you  it  affords  me  a 
very  high  degree  of  enjoyment  to  perceive  prevalent  in 
this  world,  the  same  kind  and  humane  spirit  which  I  my- 

40 


S14  DIALOGUES  ON 

self,  while  alive,  endeavoured  to  cultivate  towards  all 
men,  and  wliicli  I  may  with  truth,  and  without  flattery, 
(for  this  is  out  of  the  question  here)  affirm  to  be  the  dis- 
tinguishing characteristic  of  that  denomination  of  Chris- 
tians to  which  I  belonged.  It  is  truly  a  most  interest- 
ing and  refreshing  sight  to  angels,  as  well  as  the  spirits 
of  just  men,  to  see  you  and  Mr.  Jones  mingling  in  unre- 
strained intercourse  vrith  the  Divines,  the  Sages,  Philoso- 
phers and  vv^orthies  of  every  age  and  nation.  I  shall 
shortly  have  the  pleasure  of  introducing  you  to  the  bish- 
ops Cyprean  and  Augustine,  two  of  the  greatest  orna- 
ments, and  brightest  lights  of  the  ancient  church,  to- 
gether with  a  numerous  body  of  no  less  illustrious  cler- 
gy, who  like  you  once  sustained  the  rigour,  and  were 
marked  with  the  impressions  of  an  African  climate. — 
They  are,  on  that  account,  no  less  highly  estimated  in 
this  place. 

Absalom  Jones. — Having  just  ascended  to  these 
realms,  from  a  city  which  will  ever  endear  its  memory 
to  the  wise  and  good,  no  less  for  its  charitable  institu- 
tions generally,  than  for  the  efforts  it  has  made  in  behalf 
of  the  African  race,  I  assure  you,  Mr.  Penn,  it  is  with 
emotions  which  cannot  be  expressed,  that  I  approach 
the  founder  of  one  of  the  greatest  American  states,  and 
the  Father  of  that  good  and  amiable  people  who  commen- 
ced its  settlement  under  his  auspices.  In  behalf  of  that 
afflicted  and  persecuted  race  to  which  I  belonged,  I 
here  tender  you,  and  through  you,  that  humane  portion 
of  Christians  who  pitied  and  hospitably  received  us,  our 
grateful  and  most  cordial  acknowledgments.  The  re- 
membrance of  the  kindness  we  have  experienced  from 
the  Philadelphians,  will  never  be  obliterated  from  our 


THE    AFRICAN    COLONS.  31iJ 

aiinds ;  as  long-  as  our  hearts  shall  beat,  it  will  be  with 
gratitude  for  such  acts  of  disinterestedness  and  humanity. 

Penn. — I  stil!  reflect  with  the  greatest  complacency 
and  satisfaction  upon  the  good  which  I  did  while  on 
earth,  and  the  recollection  of  it  enhances  the  enjoy- 
ment of  my  perfect  state.  From  the  time  in  w^hich  I 
made  my  first  peaceful  purchase  of  lands  from  the  na- 
tives, the  whole  tenour  of  my  proceedings,  and  the 
w^armest  wish  of  my  heart,  were  to  unite  my  fellow-citi- 
zens in  the  bonds  of  amity  and  good  will. 

Cufee, — Never  was  there  a  nobler  object  presented 
to  the  view,  ]\Ir.  Penn,  than  thrit  which  you  exhibited, 
when,  instead  of  acting  the  part  of  a  Cortez  or  a  Pizarro, 
in  exterminating  the  original  inhabitants  to  gain  posses- 
sion of  their  lands,  you  were  seen  respecting  the  rights 
of  ignorance  arid  imbecility,  acknowledging  the  claims 
of  justice  even  towards  those  who  were  strangers  to  its 
laws,  and  treating  amicably  with  savages  for  their  terri- 
tories. It  w^as  in  a  similar  spirit  of  humanity  and  benev- 
olence that  the  inhabitants  of  that  city  which  you  had  the 
honour  to  found,  received  with  hospitality  and  kindness, 
and  sheltered  from  outrage  and  oppression,  the  houseless 
sons  of  Africa.  For  acts  of  such  disinterested  and  noble 
virtue,  no  doubt  there  are  laid  up  in  store  for  them  the 
choicest  blessings  of  heaven. 

Pen7i, — It  is  a  subject  of  the  highest  gratification  to 
me,  to  find  that  my  successors  have  so  faithfully  imbi- 
bed my  sentiments  and  imitated  my  example.  They  are 
certainl}^  entitled  to  the  highest  praise  in  having  furnish- 
ed an  asylum  to  that  enslaved  and  persecuted  race  ;  and 
that  Being  who  beholds  with  an  equal  eye  the  whole 
family  of  mankind,  and  dispenses  justice  to  them  with  a 
steady  and  impartial  hand,  will  not  fail  to  send  them  a 


316  IJIALOGt'ES  ON 

larg-e  and  ample  reco.n},.'eiise ;  but  what  nev/s  h  this 
which  has  been  lately  circrtlaied  through  the  couns  of 
heaven,  having  reference  to  a  scheiXie  in  agitation  of 
sending-  the  Africans  back  again  to  their  own  country  ? 
It  is  fervently  to  be  hoped  that  no  further  violence  or 
cruelty  will  be  attempted  against  them. 

Cujjy-e. — By  no  means.  The  plan  to  which  you  al- 
lude, instead  of  being  calculated  to  inflict  still  further 
injuries  upon  them,  is  one  of  the  most  beneficent  that 
human  genius  could  have  devised,  or  celestial  charity 
herself  have  dictated — It  is  calculated  to  restore  to  the 
race  of  Africa  all  the  losses  they  have  sustained  ;  heal 
their  wounds  :  make  reparation  for  their  injuries  ;  rein- 
state them  in  the  honours  of  their  nature  ;  retrieve 
their  sullied  glory  ;  and  convert  their  greatest  curse 
into  the  most  signal  blessing  to  themselves  and  to  the 
world. 

Penn. — Explain  your  meaning,  for  I  must  confess  mj^- 
self  in  the  dark  as  to  any  train  of  causes  which  could 
lead  to  the  results  you  mention — In  what  consists  a 
scheme  replete  with  such  numerous  advantages? 

C'jffee. — The  plan  referred  to  was  projected  before 
my  death,  and  I  was  among  the  number  of  its  most  sin- 
cere and  zealous  advocates  (and  God  forbid  that  I 
should  have  been  an  advocate  of  any  thing  injurious  to 
coloured  men)  is  simply  to  send  over  a  colony  of  free 
people  of  colour  to  take  possession  of  some  eligible  post 
upon  the  Western  Coast  of  Africa,  say  Sierra  Leone,  on 
the  Congo,  the  Gambia  or  Senegal ;  in  order,  that  form- 
ing a  settlement  in  this  part,  they  may  gradually  extend 
themselves  over  the  whole  continent,  and  carry  with 
them  into  that  barbarous  portion  of  the  globe,  the  arts 
^nd  improvements,  the  religion  and  laws  of  civilized  so- 


THE  AFIJICAN  COLONY,  317 

ciety — It  is  calculated  that  if  a  colony  of  this  nature 
was  once  planted  upon  that  coast,  the  whole  of  the  col- 
oured population  in  America  would  gradually  Hock  to 
their  standard,  and  thus  many  objects  of  the  highest  na- 
tional importance  would  be  accomplished.  By  this 
means  the  United  States  would  relieve  themselves  from 
their  deepest  national  sin,  that  of  slavery  ;  and  to  which 
thc^y  may  be  assured,  while  they  allow  it  to  rest  upon 
their  reputation,  there  is  annexed  a  curse,  either  imme- 
diate or  remote  in  the  stores  of  heaven's  justice — a 
whole  nation  w^ould  be  released  from  bondage  and  re- 
stored to  the  land  of  their  forefathers,  a  continent  hither- 
to inaccessible  at  once  to  the  researches  of  science,  and 
the  advance  of  civilization,  would  be  explored  and  civ- 
ilized ;  the  institutions  of  political  freedom,  and  the  be- 
nign influence  of  the  gospel  extended  over  that  most 
dreary  and  benighted  corner  of  the  earth. 

Penn, — Sureiy,  upon  the  first  blush  of  the  question 
these  would  seem  to  be  objects  worthy  of  any  exertions 
to  obtain  them,  and  the  project  a  most  noble  and  sub- 
lime one  ;  but  what  are  the  opinions  and  feelings  of  the 
Africans  themselves  about  it  ? 

Cuffee. — Upon  this  point,  I  have  to  regret,  that  al- 
though their  interests  in  the  matter  would  appear  so 
clear  and  undeniable,  yet  there  is  the  greatest  diversi- 
ty of  sentiment  about  it,  and  that  too  among  the  most 
respectable  and  intelligent  portion  of  them.  Some  are 
in  favour  of  it,  while  others  oppose  it  with  the  utmost 
vehemence  and  violence. 

Penn. — I  take  it  for  granted  that  nothing  like  force 
or  coercion  is  contemplated  in  the  affair,  and  that  it 
will  be  left  entirely  at  their  discretion  whether  or  not 
they  will  accept  of  the  proposal  for  emigration. 


318  DIALOGUES    OK 

Cuffee»' — Undoubtedly— nothing  like  constraint  or 
compulsion  has  ever  been  contemplated  for  a  moment. 

Pe/m. — Mr.  Jones,  as  you  have  just  left  this  people, 
you  must  be  acquainted  with  their  opinions  and  views 
upon  this  affair,  pray  inform  us  of  them.  What  are  the 
objections  which  they  are  in  the  habit  of  alleging 
against  a  project  so  feasible  in  itself,  and  Avhich,  in  its 
execution,  promises  the  attainment  of  objects  so  flatter- 
ing to  their  vanity,  so  likely  to  be  useful  at  no  very  re- 
mote period,  and  so  gratifying  to  their  laudable  ambi- 
tion. 

Ab.  Jones, — It  is  difficult  to  comprise  in  a  (ew  words 
the  views  of  the  coloured  people  in  reference  to  this  sub- 
ject. A  majority  of  those  with  whom  I  was  in  habits 
of  intercourse  and  intimacy  were  greatly  averse  from 
the  measure,  but  their  opposition  sprang  out  of  feelings 
and  considerations  as  diversified  as  their  dispositions  and 
characters.  They  never  allude  to  the  subject  but  Avitb 
the  most  lively  sensibility,  and  their  language,  when 
speaking  of  it,  is  often  tinctured  with  bitterness  and 
reproach.  Some  hesitate  not  to  declaim  against  the 
whole  project  at  colonization  as  only  a  veiled  attempt 
forcibly  to  get  rid  of  them,  or  as  the  entering  w  edge  to 
a  system  of  ulterior  measures  that  shall  cruelly  drive 
them  from  a  country,  in  w^hich,  after  many  sufferings, 
they  are  beginning  to  feel  themselves  at  home  ;  and 
again  let  them  loose  on  an  inhospitable  shore,  where 
they  shall  either  perish  with  famine,  or  be  destroj^ed  by 
the  sword.  Almost  all  agree,  that  it  is  a  case  of  ex- 
treme hardship,  indeed,  now  that  a  portion  of  them  are 
released  from  bondage,  and  are  every  day  becoming 
more  and  more  contented  with  their  condition,  which  is 
evidentl}^  improving,  a  plan  should  be  projected,  calcu- 


-THE    AFllICAN'    COLONF.  319 

la(e(j,  (or  a  time  at  least,  to  rencv/  their  iiardships  and 
sulferinu^s,  and  perhaps,  in  the  iisiie,  expose  them  to 
evils  more  insupportable  than  any  thej^  have  yet  sus- 
tained. 

Pc7in.^l(  these  are  their  sentiments,  undoubtedly 
they  should  be  respected,  and  the  utmost  delicacy 
should  be  di'^played  in  the  future  proceedings  of  the 
white  people  towards  them.  They  have  already  been 
sufficiently  outraged  and  trampled  upon,  and  it  is  high 
time  that  they  should  be  allowed  to  resume  the  rights  of 
human  nature. 

Ab.Jmcs. — When  speaking  upon  this  subject,  both 
in  private  conversation,  and  in  their  public  meetings, 
which  have  been  held  upon  it,  they  break  forth  into  that 
natural  and  impassioned  eloquence  which  has  a  thou- 
sand times  more  effect  upon  the  heart  and  affections,  and 
more  powerfully  propels  mankind  to  action,  than  the 
most  laboured  and  highly  finished  specimens  of  oratory. 
What  !  they  are  perpetually  exclaiming — is  it  not 
enough  that  the  white  people  have  been,  century  after 
century,  indulging  in  that  nefarious  traffic  in  human 
Hesh,  that,  to  glut  an  insatiable  avarice,  they  have  been 
in  the  habit  of  stimulating  those  savage  tribes  to  hostili- 
ty with  each  other,  in  order  that  they  might  purchase 
from  them,  like  sheep  and  oxen,  the  captives  taken  in 
war — that,  in  this  impious  commerce,  the  ties  of  nature 
and  the  sacred  voice  of  humanity  have  been  disregard- 
ed— husbands  and  wives,  sisters  and  brothers,  parents 
and  children,  being  severed  from  each  other  !  Is  it  not 
enough  that  when  our  forefathers  were  thus  transferred, 
by  the  foulest  iniquity,  into  the  hands  of  unfeeling  mas- 
ters, torn  from  the  embraces  of  friends,  from  the  sweets 
of  home,  and  the  innumerable  recollections  of  country 


320  DIALOGUES    ON 

and  kindred,  that  croud  around  the  heart  at  parting, 
they  were  crammed  into  the  holds  of  vessels,  condema- 
ed  to  breathe  a  pestilential  air,  and  live  upon  bread  and 
v/ater,  during  a  long  and  tedious  voyage?  Is  it  not 
enough  that,  after  they  had  passed  through  scenes  too 
afflictive  to  be  thought  of  without  anguish,  upon  their 
arrival  in  America,  they  should  have  found  that  these 
things  were  to  them  but  the  beginning  of  sorrows,  but 
the  prelude  to  evils  still  more  intolerable — that  they 
should  again  have  been  exposed  to  sale,  like  beasts  of 
burthen,  in  the  markets  of  America,  where  the  purchas- 
ers were  equally  as  before,  deaf  to  the  claims  of  nature 
and  of  kindred?  Is  it  not  enough  that  our  forefathers, 
when  thus  conveyed  into  the  hands  of  their  masters,  have 
been  compelled  to  hard  labour  both  day  and  night, 
amidst  the  snows  of  winter  and  the  burning  sun  of  sum- 
mer, half  fed  and  half  clothed,  sometimes  up  to  their 
waists  in  water  in  the  rice  fields  and  stagnant  ponds ; 
and  all  this  time  under  the  lash  of  unfeeling  overseers, 
who  for  the  slightest  provocations,  beat,  scourge  Avith 
rods,  and  if  perchance  the  unhappy  victims  escape  for  a 
moment  from  their  oppression  by  flying  to  the  woods 
and  wilds,  pursue  them  with  savage  fury,  hunt  them 
down,  and  destroy  them  like  wild  beasts  ?  Is  it  not 
enough 

Fenn, — I  perceive,  Mr.  Jones,  you  are  overcome  with 
emotion.  The  picture  is  surely  enough  to  melt  the 
heart  of  a  savage.  Can  it  be  possible  that  such  things 
have  taken  place  in  an  age  of  light,  in  a  free  country, 
and  under  the  influence  of  a  religion  which  breathes 
peace  on  earth  and  good  will  to  men  ? 

Ah.  Jones, — I  have  yet  related  to  you  but  a  very  small 
part  of  our  sad  story.     It  would  require  volumes  to  re- 


THE    AFRICAN    COLONV.  S'2l 

cord  the  history  of  the  wrongs  and  sorrows  of  colour- 
ed people.  The  recital  would  make  every  fibre  of  the 
heart  bleed  with  agony.  Let  us  now  rather  endeavour 
to  conceal  these  miserable  objects  with  a  veil  of  pa- 
tience and  forgiveness.  But  after  the  African  race 
have  sustained  such  unnumbered  injuries  and  outrages 
— when  they  have  been  bruised,  as  it  were,  in  the  wine- 
press of  Heaven's  wrath,  depressed  and  trodden  under 
the  feet  of  men,,  just  at  the  moment  when  they  are  begin- 
ning once  more  to  lift  up  their  heads,  when  their  chains 
are  falling  otT  them  from  the  influence  of  the  Genius 
of  Freedom,  and  they  are  every  day  becoming  more 
and  more  contented  with  their  condition^  happy  in  them- 
selves and  respected  by  others,  shall  they  again  have 
their  labours  and  sufferings  renewed,  be  set  adrift  upon 
a  hazardous  and  tempestuous  sea,  in  which  they  know 
not  what  storms  may  arise,  and  what  quicksands  may 
absorb  them  ?  Forbid  it,  Heaven !  Forbid  it,  Genius  of 
American  Freedom  I  Forbid  it,  Spirit  of  Benevolence 
and  Humanity  I 

Penn. — You  speak  with  great  vehemence  and  earnest- 
ness; and  it  is  certain  that  your  feelings  towards  a  race 
to  which  you  were  once  united  by  so  many  sympathies, 
are  natural  and  praiseworthy ;  and  I  must  confess  that 
my  mind  is  in  a  state  of  too  much  excitement,  from  the 
picture  you  have  drawn,  to  enable  me  to  decide  upon 
this  matter  with  an  unbiased  judgment.  Let  us,  there- 
fore postpone  the  further  prosecution  of  the  subject  for 
the  present.  After  more  mature  reflection,  and  after  I. 
-;hall  have  consulted  with  Washington,  and  other  hu- 
mane and  illustrious  shades  in  paradise,  I  shall  be  able 
to  deliver  a  more  dicrested  and  accurate  opinion  about  it, 

n 


322  DIALOGUES  ON 

DialGgve  Second. 

Penn, — Well,  Mr.  Ciiffee  and  Mr.  Jones,  after  more 
mature  reflection,  what  do  you  still  contijme  to  think 
of  the  subject  which  we  bee^an  to  discuss  in  ouj;-  former 
conversation,  in  reference  to  sending  a  colony  to  Afri- 
ca, of  the  free  people  of  colour? 

Ah,  Jones, — My  sentiments  about  it  are  unaltered,  and 
m}^  determination  to  oppose  it  unshaken. 

Cufee. — And  I,  the  more  I  reflect  upon  the  subject, 
feel  more  and  more  deeply  impressed  with  the  convic- 
tion, that  it  would  be  the  most  beneficial  scheme  that 
human  genius  could  devise,  or  human  powers  execute, 
in  behalf  of  the  African  race.  What  is  the  opinion  to 
which  you  have  come,  Mr.  Penn,  after  the  profound  at- 
tention and  impartial  consideration,  which,  I  doubt  not, 
you  have  bestowed  upon  this  pcant? 

Penn. — After  consultation  with  "Washington,  and  ma- 
ny other  distinguished  men,  who,  Avhile  on  earth,  were 
the  deliverers  of  their  country,  and  champions  of  the 
rights  and  liberties  of  mankind,  1  have  entirely  satisfied 
my  mind  as  to  its  expediency  and  advantage.  They  are 
all,  without  exception,  warmly  interested  in  the  success 
of  the  undertaking. 

Cufee. — I  am  much  gratified  with  finding  that  an 
opinion  I  have  so  zealously  espoused,  is  sanctioned  by 
such  high  authority.  This  result,  however,  I  had  good 
reason  to  anticipate  :  as  the  measure,  it  is  well  known, 
meets  with  the  decided  approbation  and  encouragement 
of  the  most  respectable  patriots  and  statesmen  of  Ameri- 
ca ;  and  we  find,  moreover,  acting  at  the  head  of  the 
society  instituted  to  promote  it,  a  statesman  who  is  the 


THE  AFRICAN  COLONY.  3'23 

heir  at  «nce  of  the  estate,  tlie  name,  and  the  pul^lic  esti- 
mation of 'Washington — and  whose  talents,  virtues  and 
amiable  character,  render  him  worthy  to  succeed,  in  all 
these  titles,  his  illustrious  relative. 

Ah'  Jjncs. — After  liearing  the  opinions  of  so  many 
eminent  men  upon  this  matter,  I  ought  surely  to  feel 
some  diffidence  of  the  soundness  of  m}'  own  views,  and 
the  justness  of  my  own  concepUons  about  it.  But  real- 
ly, it  is  matter  of  surprise  and  astonishment  to  me,  that 
you  two,  considering-  the  acknowledged  benevolence 
and  humanity  of  your  characters,  should  allow  your- 
selves to  be  betrayed  into  acquiescence  in  a  measure, 
which  you  must  perceive  will  at  once  deprive  the  Af- 
rican race  of  all  the  comforts  which  some  of  them  are 
now  enjoying,  and  again  renew  their  toils,  their  hard- 
ships and  sorrows.  Our  race  have  contributed  their  due 
proportion  of  toil,  though  with  but  little  enjoyment  of  the 
profits,  to  transform  this  western  world,  and  more  espe- 
cially the  southern  division  of  it,  from  being  the  abode 
of  savages  and  beasts  of  prey,  into  the  beautiful  residence 
of  improved  and  civilized  man  ;  and  shall  they  not  now 
become  partakers  of  the  benefits,  reap  the  fruits  of  their 
own  toils  ? — Some  of  them  were  found  in  the  ranks  of 
the  American  army  during  the  revolutionary  war,  and 
it  was  never  asserted,  that  they  were  deficient  in  spirit 
and  activity.  Shall  they  now  be  transported,  like  con- 
victs, from  a  country  whose  battles  they  have  assisted 
in  fighting,  and  in  whose  struggles  for  independence^ 
they  so  deeply  sympathised  ? 

Penn. — I  again  repeat  that  I  would  consent  to  no- 
thing that  should  wear  the  slightest  appearance  of  force 
or  compulsion  in  the  affair.  Let  the  sacrifices  they 
must  make,  if  the  colony  contemplated  U  established- 


i>24  DIALOGUES  ON 

be  a  free  and  voluntary  ofiering  of  their  own,  and  niad<^ 
from  a  regard  to  the  immense  benefits  which  will  result 
to  themselves  and  the  world.     At  the  same  time^  howev- 
er that  I  am  willing  to  admit  that  some  sacrifices  are  to 
be  made  and  some   dilTicuhies  encountered   in   accom- 
plishing this  enterprize,  yet  let  us  not  delude  or  terrify 
ourselves  by   exaggerated  representations  of  them,  by- 
picturing  to  our  minds  scenes  of  visionary  suffering,  or 
imagine  that  as  soon  as  the  Africans  engage  in  this  un- 
dertaking, they  are  to  make  their  way  towards  its  exe- 
cution  only  along  dangerous  precipices,  and  by  plung- 
ing into  gulfs  of  horror.     For  my  part,  I  can  perceive 
nothing  so  extremely  formidable  in  the  projected  expe- 
dition, or  that  the  coloured  men  who  shall  engage  in  it 
are  likely  to  meet  with  any  more  difficulties  and  hard- 
ships than  those  which  were  encountered  by  me  and 
those  who  united  vvith   me  in  forming  a  settlement  in 
Pennsylvania.      What    is  the  plan  in  contemplation? 
Let  us  endeavour  to  form  clear  and  distinct  ideas  about 
it;  to  ascertain  its  nature  and  extent ;  before  we  allow 
our  minds  to  be  filled  with  chimerical  fears,  and  to  be  de- 
terred  from  the  design  by  indiscriminating  invectives 
against  it.     As  far  as  I  can  understand  the  matter,  there 
is  nothing  that  can  prove  the  slightest  cause  of  anxiety 
or  alarm   to  the  people  who  are   concerned,  but  every 
thing   to  awake  the   most  cheering  hopes   and   kindle 
them  into  enthusiasm  in  its  favour.      From  the  most 
exact  calculations  that  have  been  made,  it  is  concluded 
that  there  m.ust  be  at  this  time  in  the  U.  S.  a  million  and 
a  half  of  coloured  people — Of  this  immense  number  we 
will   suppose  one  hundred   thousand  to  be  free  men. 
Kow,   out  of  this  million  and  a  half  of  coloured  people 
and  this  hundred  thousand  free  men,  all  that  would  b^ 


THE  AFRICAN-  COLONV.  j  325 

necessaiT  to  enter  upon  this  undertaking  would  be 
about  10,000,  tliat  is  one  tenth  of  the  number  ofthosethat 
are  free,  and  the  one  hundred  and  fiftieth  part  of  the 
whole  number  at  present  in  the  territories  of  the  United 
States.  These  10,000  being  provided  with  food  to  sup- 
port them  and  carrying  with  them  the  implements  of  hus- 
bandry, can  without  material  difficulty,  be  planted  upon 
the  Western  coast  of  Africa,  and  as  soon  as  the  settle- 
ment becomes  flourishing,  will  gradually  attract  to  it  the 
remainder  of  the  coloured  people,  who  would  find  it 
their  interest  and  happiness  to  join  them.  Is  this  an 
enterprize  so  very  hopeless,  or  which  is  calculated  to 
excite  so  much  and  such  serious  alarm  ?  i\Iore  than 
half  the  globe  has  been  peopled  in  a  similar  way. 
Greece  was  originally  peopled  by  colonies  from  the 
East ;  Italy  by  those  from  Asia  ;  Carthage  from  Tyre  ; 
our  own  hemisphere  we  know  has  been  entirely  popu- 
lated by  this  kind  of  emigration  from  the  old  world — 
The  history  of  man  is  pregnant  with  examples  of  expe- 
ditions much  more  hazardous,  and  undertaken  for  far 
less  important  objects.  What  is  this  when  compared  to 
the  passage  round  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  by  Vasco 
de  Gama  ;  to  the  discovery  of  America  by  Columbus  ; 
or  to  the  expedition  at  this  moment  in  a  train  of  pre- 
paration in  England  to  visit  the  North  pole  and  con- 
tend with  the  mountains  of  ice  and  the  numberless  perils 
of  these  frozen  regions?  Are  the  Africans  willing  to 
allow  themselves  the  only  nation  incapable  of  great  and 
noble  exertions? 

Ah,  Jones. — If  it  should  be  thought  advisable  by  the 
coloured  people  to  emigrate  from  a  land  in  which  they 
have  now  become  domesticated,  why  not  allow  them 
to  settle  in  this  country  upon  the  banks  of  the  Mississip- 


326  DiALOCiUES    OiV 

pi  or  I\Iissouri,  where  they  would  feel  Iheinseives  in 
the  midst  of  friends  and  the  comforts  of  civilized  life, 
instead  of  having  them  transported  to  the  wiids  of  a 
barren  and  savasre  land  ? 

o 

Pemu — Insuperable  objections  at  once  present  them- 
selves against  a  plan  of  this  nature — The  stream  of 
white  population  flows  so  strongly  in  that  direction, 
that  nothing  probably  could  arrest  its  progress.  If  the 
Africans,  therefore,  were  to  commence  a  settlement 
here,  they  would  not  long  be  permitted  quietly  to  pos- 
sess their  lands.  The  same  scenes  would  immediately 
be  exhibited  between  them  and  the  whites  as  are  every 
day  acted  at  this  time  between  these  and  the  Indians. 
The  ultimate  consequence  would  be  the  utter  ruin  and 
extinction  of  the  colony,  from  the  wars  that  would  be 
provoked  by  mutual  injuries  and  aggressions.  No — 
Perhaps  no  part  of  the  globe  could  be  fixed  upon  bet- 
ter suited  to  the  purpose  in  vievr  than  that  which  has 
been  selected.  Instead  of  a  barren  soil,  an  intolerable 
climate,  and  a  dreary  wild,  they  would  find  along  the 
banks  of  the  Gambia,  the  Senegal  or  the  Congo,  a 
temperature  of  the  air  suited  by  the  God  of  nature  to 
their  constitutions,  and  one  of  the  richest  and  most  fer- 
tile territories  upon  earlb.  If  nature  has,  indeed 
stretched  upon  the  face  of  Africa  the  wide  and  sandy 
desert  of  Zaara,  where  scarcely  a  shrub  can  grow,  or 
an  animal  subsist,  with  her  usual  equity  and  benignity, 
for  this  deficiency  she  has  afforded  it  a  compensation  in 
those  happy  regions  in  which  whole  nations  subsist  by 
little  more  than  the  spontaneous  productions  of  the 
earth. 

Jlh.  Jones. — But,  supposing  all  you  say  to  be  true, 
and  that  this  colony  might  easily  be  planted,  and  would 


THE    AFRICAN    COLON  r.  327 

become  fioiirishing,  where  is  the  necessity  or  advantage 
of  a  removal  to  the  race  of  Africa?  They  are  becom- 
ing every  day  more  and  more  contented  and  happy. 
Efforts  are  continually  made  to  procure  their  gradual 
emancipation  ;  schools  are  erected  for  their  education  ; 
there  is  nothing  to  prevent  them  from  practising  those 
useful  arts,  either  of  agriculture,  commerce,  or  manu- 
facture, or  engaging  in  those  mechanical  employments 
by  which  they  may  be  enriched,  and  thus  their  condi- 
tion still  further  meliorated.  Whence  the  necessity  of 
their  leaving  a  country  to  which  they  have  now  become 
attached  by  long  habits,  and  in  which  their  means  of 
comfortable  subsistence  and  their  modes  of  living  are 
constantly  improving  ? 

Penn. — I  perceive  that  your  prejudices  and  prepos- 
sessions upon  this  subject  are  extremely  strong,  if  not 
insuperable,  and  that  it  is  a  very  arduous  attempt  to 
subdue  or  remove  them.  Nevertheless,  in  so  important 
a  business,  1  will  not  despair  of  success.  Let  us  en- 
deavour, as  far  as  possible,  to  divest  our  minds  of  every 
bias  that  influences  them  against  the  suggestions  of  rea- 
son, and  enter  upon  the  cool  and  dispassionate  investi- 
gation of  this  point.  After  having  well  digested  the 
matter,  considered  it  on  all  sides,  and  in  ail  imaginable 
points  of  light,  canvassed  every  thing  that  can  be  alleg- 
ed in  recommendation  or  in  oppositioirto  it,  I  think 
that  the  arguments  in  its  favour  most  decidedly  and 
greatly  preponderate. 

Jib,  Jones. — Let  us  hear  them  then  ;  for  aUhougli  I 
must  confess  myself  strongly  prepossessed  against  the 
measure,  and  even  warmly  hostile  to  it,  yet  I  am  ready 
to  lend  an  ear  to  the  suggestions  of  reason  and  good 
sense,  and  to  yield  to  conviction. 


328  DIALOGUES  on 

Penn. — In  the  first  place,  an  establishment  of  this  na- 
ture, is  the  only  imac^inable  expedient  which  can  be 
adopted  to  elevate  the  coloured  people  from  that  debase- 
ment into  which  slavery  has  sunk  them,  and  confer  on 
them  the  acknowledged  rights  of  human  nature. 

Ah,  Jones, — But  will  not  this  end  be  as  certainly  and 
speedily  accomplished,  without  having  recourse  to  an 
expedient  of  this  nature?  Do  we  not  see  the  prejudi- 
ces which  have  hitherto  subsisted  among  the  whites 
against  the.coloured  people,  gradually  subsiding  under 
the  influence  of  reason  and  good  sense  ;  and  the  latter 
rising  every  day  into  rank  and  respectability  ?  Is  it 
not  to  be  anticipated  that  humanity  and  justice  will  ul- 
timately obtain  a  complete  triumph,  and  that  every 
member  of  this  republic,  whatever  may  be  the  shade  of 
his  complexion,  will  be  placed  upon  a  perfect  equality  T 

Pcnn, — This  is,  undoubtedly,  the  wish  of  every  phi- 
lanthropic mind  ;  but  the  wishes  of  good  men,  and  even 
their  most  strenuous  exertions,  cannot  obliterate  the  sen- 
timents of  nature,  or  overrule  the  settled  course  of 
things. — The  mode  in  which  the  unhappy  race  of 
Africa  were  first  ushered  into  the  notice  and  attract- 
ed the  attention  of  the  American  people,  was  the  most 
unfavourable  that  could  be  conceived  to  their  be- 
ing considered  upon  a  footing  of  respectability. — First, 
they  were  found  in  a  rude  and  savage  condition  in  their 
own  country,  from  w  hich  they  w^ere  transferred  to  the 
most  abject  slavery,  where,  writhing  under  tiie  torture 
inflicted  on  them,  by  such  outrage,  they  naturally  exhib- 
ited such  features  of  deformity  as  were  calculated  to 
excite  contempt,  disgust  and  indignation.  From  these 
•circumstances,  the  whites,  in  spite  of  their  better  rea- 
son, must  long,  if  not  always,  continue  to  view  them 
through  the   discoloured  medium  of  such  early  assorin- 


THE  AFRICA*  COLONY.  529 

'lions.  It  is  in  vain  to  disguise  the  matter.  It  is  a  re- 
sult which  is  clear,  incontestible,  palpable.  However 
the  good  and  humane  may  struggle  to  eradicate  such 
prejudices  from  their  hearts  and  endeavour  to  mitigate 
to  the  Africans  the  rigours  of  their  fate,  these  people  can- 
tuot  but  be  sensible  of  the  line  of  distinction,  which  is 
drawn  between  them  and  their  white  iieighbours,  and 
the  insurmountable  barrier  presented  against  a  free  and 
unrestrained  intercourse  between  them  ;  they  cannot 
but  be  acutely  alive  to  a  sense  of  this  discrimination.. 
They  have  but  to  move  a  limb,  and  they  feel  it — it  vi- 
brates in  every  nerve,  and  beats  in  every  pulsation  of 
their  hearts:  and  shall  they  delude  themselves  with 
the  hope  of  a  more  favourable  state  of  things  at  a  fu- 
ture period?  Dolliey  discern  any  thing  in  the  signs  of 
the  times  that  prognosticates  such  a  change  in  the  course 
of  events  ?  They  may,  indeed,  be  hospitably  received 
by  the  humane  inhabitants  of  Philadelphia,  be  protect- 
ed, encouraged  and  fostered  by  their  laws — be  allowed 
to  earn  a  comfortable  subsistence  by  the  performance  of 
various  menial  and  necessary  offices — be  permitted  even 
to  enjoy  all  the  privileges  of  freemen,  and  to  ascend  pul- 
pits to  preach  the  Gospel  to  people  of  their  own  com- 
plexion ; — but  can  any  one  imagine  that  the  period  will 
ever  arrive  in  which  they  will  bear  any  sway  in  our 
country,  guide  our  legislative  councils,  preside  in  our 
courts  of  judicatiire,  or  take  the  lead  in  the  aflfairs  of  the 
republic?  Is  it  probable  that  the  time  will  ever  come 
in  which  intermarriages  will  besought  between  their 
families  and  those  of  the  most  respectable  whites  ?  It 
would  be  the  height  of  folly  to  indulge  such  an  expect- 
ation ;  and  until  this  is  the  case,  they  will  never  occu- 
py the  rank  or  enjoy  the  privileges  of  white  men  ;  until 

42 


330  DIALOGUES    ON 

this  is  the  case,  they  will  ever  hold  an  inferiour  and 
subordinate  place  in  society,  and  be  in  some  degree 
aliens  in  their  own  land. — Paul  Cuffee  had  the  sensibili- 
ty and  discernment  to  perceive  this  state  of  things,  the 
penetration  to  discover  the  only  practicable  means  by 
which  his  race  could  be  relieved  from  their  painful 
t»ense  of  iuferiorit}^,  and  the  activity  to  commence  the  ex- 
ecution of  a  project  to  remedy  the  evil. 

Paul  Cuffee. — Yes — If  the  Africans  wish  to  elevate 
themselves  to  the  rank  and  respectability  of  Americans 
and  Europeans,  let  them  establish  a  colony  upon  the 
coast  of  Africa.  When  this  colony  is  planted,  and  be- 
comes prosperous,  as  it  would  soon  do, — when  they 
shall  have  instituted  a  government  of  their  own  model- 
ling, and  elected  rulers  of  their  own  choice — when  their 
strength  shall  be  increased  by  vast  accessions  of  their 
brethren  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  invited  to  unite 
themselves  to  them — when  agriculture,  commerce  and 
manufactures  shall  be  cultivated  by  them — when  the 
earth  shall  be  covered  and  beautified  with  the  products 
of  their  industry,  and  the  sea  whitened  with  their  canvass 
— when  flourishing  cities,  magnificent  churches,  richly 
endowed  colleges  and  seminaries  of  learning,  philoso- 
phers, historians,  poets,  orators,  statesmen  and  heroes,  a 
powerful  army  and  a  triumphant  navy,  shall  proclaim 
their  glory,  and  contest  the  palm  of  greatness  with  the 
other  nations  of  the  earth — then  it  is  that  mankind  will 
learn  to  hold  that  much  injured  race  in  just  and  respectful 
estimation.  Compassion  is  spontaneously  bestowed  up- 
on the  unfortunate  and  the  wretched  ;  and  of  this  the 
coloured  people  have  at  this  time,  from  the  intelligent 
and  worthy,  a  full  proportion — but  respect  is  to  be 
wrested  from  mankind  only  by  violence  and  compul- 


THE  AFRICAN  COLONY.  331 

sion,  and,  to  purcliase  this,  the  Africans  have  still  to  un- 
dergo many  hardships  and  toils. 

Ab.  Jones, — You  draw  such  a  glowing-  picture  of  the 
future  probable  prosperity  and  grandeur  of  this  colony, 
that  you  almost  excite  my  desire  that  my  countrymen 
in  the  world  below  should  make  the  attempt,  thus  to 
aggrandize  their  name  and  nation. 

Penn. — Would  to  heaven  !  that  they  would  be  made 
sensible  of  the  numberless  and  inestimable  benefits 
which  would  redound  to  them  from  this  measure.  But 
supposing  that  it  is  not  to  be  expected  of  a  whole  peo- 
ple to  be  inspired  with  such  a  thirst  for  glory  as  to 
make  great  sacrifices  in  the  attainment  of  objects  so  il- 
lustrious as  those  which  have  been  enumerated  ;  at  least 
w^e  might  calculate  that  a  sufficient  number  of  them  might 
be  found,  who  would  have  the  spirit  to  embark  In  the 
only  undertaking  which  can  relieve  them  from  that  state 
of  inferiority  and  degradation  to  which  they  are  at 
present  reduced  in  society,  and  which  is  the  source  of 
so  many  mortifications,  indignities  and  mischiefs — at 
least  it  might  be  anticipated,  that  a  competent  number 
could  be  found,  who  would  meet  any  hazards  and  en- 
counter any  difficulties  to  wipe  off  the  reproach  and 
disgrace  that  have  so  long  adhered  to  them,  and  rein- 
state them  in  their  native  honours  among  the  nations  of 
the  earth.  Some  persons,  indeed,  on  account  of  their 
having  failed  to  exhibit  any  proofs  of  genius  since  their 
transportation  to  America,  have  felt  disposed  to  deny 
them  the  same  grade  in  the  scale  of  being  with  white 
men  ;  but  this  opinion  is  not  substantiated  by  facts,  nor 
deduced  from  premises  adequate  to  sustain  the  conclu- 
sion :  it  is  confirmed  neither  by  reason  nor  revelation  ; 
neither  by  the  authentic  voice  of  history,  nor  by  the 


3S2  DIALOGUES    ON 

maxims  of  a  just  philosophy — They  want  nothing  but 
time  and  opportunity  to  refute  this  calumny.  I  could 
not  conceive  of  a  more  favourable  opportunity  than 
that  which  would  be  afforded  them  by  the  proposed 
settlement  upon  the  coast  of  Africa. 

Jl'\  Jones, — But  will  not  the  same  result  be  likely  to 
take  place  in  t  e  ountry  in  which  they  now  reside? 
AYe  see  the  most  benevolent  and  extensive  means  re- 
sorted to,  to  improve  and  civilize  them — Schools  are 
ere.'ted  for  their  education  ;  churches  founded  in  which 
they  assemble  for  public  worship,  and  no  mean  of  in- 
struction is  withheld  from  them — Is  it  not  probable  that 
this  state  of  things  is  the  prelude  to  a  still  more  hap- 
py change  in  their  favour,  and  that  the  prejudices  sub- 
sisting against  them  will  be  obliterated,  and  they  will 
be  elevated   to  a  perfect  equality  with  the  whites? 

Penn, —  It  is  much  to  be  feared  that  all  will  be  una- 
vailing. 

Paul  Ct'fcc. — It  ig  in  vain,  iJr.  Jones,  that  our  race 
should  indulge  in  visionary  expectations — As  I  w^as  of 
the  same  family  of  mankind  with  them,  and  must,  of 
course,  be  supposed  to  have  all  my  sympathies  enlisted 
in  their  behalf,  I  can  communicate  my  sentiments 
without  fear  of  offence  or  misconstruction.  AVhat  has 
been  done  for  our  injured  and  abused  race  reflects  the 
highest  honour  upon  those  who  have  interested  tliem- 
setves  in  their  concerns,  but  I  am  convinced  that  no 
efforts  which  can  be  made  will  ever  lilt  them  out  of  that 
inferior  and  ignominious  condition  in  which  they  now 
stand  in  America,  and  out  of  which  condition  spring 
many  virulent  and  fatal  disorders,  which  nothing  else 
can  remedy  but  their  transplantation  to  a  more  natural 
«nd  happy  soil.     The  station  which  the  Africans  at  pres- 


THE  AFRICAN  COLONY.  333 

ent  occupy,  is  the  most  inauspicious  that  could  be  ima- 
gined to  the  developement  of  their  powers,  or  the 
growth  and  expansion  of  their  virtues.  Their  minds 
are  in  too  depressed  a  sphere  to  be  reached  by  the  influ- 
ence of  most  of  those  motives  that  most  powerfully  op- 
erate upon  mankind;  awake  their  energies;  or  stimu- 
late them  to  exertion.  They  cannot  aspire  to  the  high- 
est dignities  of  church  or  state ;  the  chairs  of  executive 
authority;  the  benches  of  justice  ;  seats  in  senates  and 
legislative  bodies;  the  palm  of  eloquence  at  the  bar 
and  in  the  pulpit;  the  fame  of  philoso|)hers,  statesmen, 
authors,  are  objects  to  which  they  never  lift  their  view, 
and  yet  these  are  the  objects  which  rouse  itito  restless 
activity  the  dormant  powers  of  human  genius.  They 
cannot  even  anticipate  an  admission  into  the  first  circles 
of  society,  and  the  pleasures  and  advantages  of  polite 
intercourse,  however  incontrovertible  might  be  their 
claims  from  the  pre-eminence  of  their  virtues  or  the  re- 
finement of  their  manners.  Now,  whatever  may  be 
thought  of  such  circumstances  b}^  superficial  observers, 
I  hesitate  not  to  decide,  that  upon  any  community  on 
earth  they  would  have  a  most  baneful  influence  upon 
their  present  character  and  morals,  and  an  inauspicious 
aspect  upon  their  future  prospects.  And  in  fact,  this 
very  consideration  reveals  the  true  secret,  which  is  not 
to  be  found  in  any  diversity  in  their  original  structure  ; 
why,  when  translated  to  this  seat  of  civilization  and  the 
arts,  they  have  never  produced  an  Esop,  a  Terence,  or 
an  Epictetus,  or  any  men  who  have  rendered  them- 
selves illustrious  bv  their  tal«^nt3.  Under  other  circum- 
stances and  in  other  countries,  they  have  furnished  a 
list  of  worthies,  who  would  not  have  dishonoured  any 
age  or  nation.    Let  it  once  become  an  established  usage 


334  jjiALOGUES  ojr 

or  positive  law,  that  as  soon  as  they  shall  distinguish 
themselves  by  their  talents  and  virtues,  they  shall  reap 
the  same  advantages  and  be  crowned  vvith  the  same  hon- 
ours with  white  men,  and  I  doubt  not  they  would  soon, 
by  the  exercise  of  their  powers,  blot  out  the  imputation 
which  has  been  cast  upon  them,  and  retrieve  the  fallen 
honours  of  their  nation.  But  what  is  reasonably  to  be 
expected  of  a  people  in  a  state  of  such  abject  slavery, 
with  their  powers  ground  under  the  mill-stone  of  op- 
pression, with  minds  uncultivated,  accustomed  to  the 
lowest  and  grossest  habits ;  and  then,  as  soon  as  they 
have  been  happily  manumitted  and  allowed  to  act  for 
themselves,  finding  every  avenue  to  distinction,  to  hon- 
our, or  even  respectability,  blocked  up  by  obstacles 
that  cannot  be  surmounted  ?  They  must  have  been 
more  than  human,  instead  of  less,  if,  while  thus  circum- 
stanced, they  exhibited  any  proofs  of  superiority.  But 
even  this  is  not  the  most  unfavourable  point  of  light  in 
which  this  subject  may  be  viewed.  Allowing  their 
powers  to  lie  inactive  from  the  want  of  high  motives  to 
exertion,  and  precluded  all  hope  of  being  received  into 
the  company,  and  enjoying  the  refined  pleasures  of 
those  whom  they  most  respect,  they  sink  into  an  indif- 
ference to  those  objects  which  they  know  to  be  unat- 
tainable, become  contented  with  inferiority,  and  even 
fond  of  debasement :  contract  habits  of  indolence,  sloth 
and  intemperance,  or  perhaps  plunge  into  all  the  depths 
of  vice.  Hence  their  education  is  neglected,  their 
minds  totally  uncultivated,  their  moral  characters  low 
and  depraved,  their  manners  coarse  and  vulgar,  and 
they  themselves  dispirited  and  contemned.  And  can  the 
coloured  people  allow  themselves  to  lie  for  ever  amidst 
the  mire  and  dirt  of  their  abasement,  and  never  be  rou?- 


THE  AFRICAN  COLONY.  335 

ed  to  a  sense  of  their  own  dignity  ?  O,  race  of  Africa ! 
were  I  able  to  re-appear  upon  earth,  and  had  a  voice 
that  could  resound  through  every  corner  and  crevice  of 
the  glo])e  in  which  you  are  scattered,  I  would  impor- 
tune you  with  infinite  vehemence  and  solicitude,  to 
awake  from  your  disgraceful  slumber — arouse  to  a  just 
sense  of  your  condition — fiee  as  fast  as  possible  from  a 
land  in  which  you  must  ever  remain  dishonoured — re- 
turn to  the  land  of  your  forefathers — hasten  to  that 
country  and  climate  suited  by  the  God  of  nature  to 
your  constitution  and  temperament — fiee  to  that  region 
in  which  you  shall  walk  at  large  and  breathe  a  conge- 
nial air,  and  where  your  spirits  will  no  longer  be  damp- 
ed, despised,  and  palsied  in  their  exercise,  by  a  painful 
sentiment  of  inferiority;  where  the  noblest  objects  will 
be  presented  to  quicken  your  exertions,  and  inflame  a 
laudable  ambition — in  a  word,  to  a  country  whose  laws,, 
government,  honours,  victories,  and  the  whole  of  whose 
destinies  you  can  proudly  and  triumphantly  call  your 
own. 

Dialogue  Third. 

M,  Jones. — The  view  which  you  gave,  Mr.  Cuffec, 
at  our  last  meeting,  of  the  condition  of  the  coloured 
people  in  the  United  States,  sank  deeply  into  my  heart ; 
and  I  must  confess,  that  after  mature  reflection  upon 
your  arguments,  I  find  myself  unable  to  impugn  or  re- 
fute them.  The  moral  character  of  that  people  is  un- 
doubtedly greatly  influenced  and  modelled  by  the 
causes  you  have  mentioned,  and  that  subordinate  rank, 
which,  I  fear,  they  must  forever  hold  among  the  whites, 
presents  an  insurmountable  impediment  to  their  refine* 


236  DIALOGUES    ON 

ment  and  civility  of  manners,  and  at  the  same  time  gives 
birth  to  many  baneful  consequences.  It  appears  to  me, 
however,  that  you  have  forgotten  one  material  circum- 
stance in  the  estimate  you  have  furnished  of  their  pre- 
sent condition.  If  they  cannot  aspire  to  the  highest  dig- 
nities of  the  republic,  and  to  those  great  and  exalted 
objects  which  kindle  in  men  the  ardour  of  ambition,  and 
stimulate  them  to  unusual  exertion,  the  road  to  wealth 
is,  at  any  rate,  open  to  them  ;  and  may  they  not,  through 
this  track,  ascend  those  eminences  which  mankind  are 
so  anxious  to  obtain  ;  and  which,  from  the  efTorts  ne- 
cessary to  reach  them,  are  found  to  produce  so  happy  a 
moral  effect  upon  society  ? 

Perm. — That  trash,  indeed,  is  witliin  their  reach,  and 
they  may  add  pile  to  pile  without  molestation  from  any 
one:  but  after  they  have  accumulated  as  much  as  ava- 
rice itself  can  covet,  what  will  they  have  acquired? 
The  coloured  people,  it  is  true,  when  they  shall  have 
an  opulent  class  among  them,  may  enjoy  all  the  com- 
forts^ and  even  luxuries  of  life,  in  a  distinct  society  by 
themselves  (and  if  they  continue  in  the  country,  it  is  to 
be  hoped  that  this  will  soon  be  the  case,)  but  still  the 
line  of  distinction  between  them  and  the  whites  will  sub- 
sist ;  still  they  will  have  no  home  which  they  can  proud- 
ly call  their  own,  or  soil  upon  which  they  can  walk  as 
its  lord ;  still  they  will  feel  themselves,  in  a  great  de- 
gree, strangers,  inhabiting  a  land  which  is  possessed  by 
others.  They  may  not,  and  I  believe  they  will  not  be 
so  well  satisfied  with  their  lot  when  they  become  weal- 
thy, as  they  are  at  present;  but  their  discontent  or  mur- 
murs will  not  prevent  the  wall  of  partition  between 
them  and  the  whites  from  remaining  impassable.  And 
't  is  not  at  all  improbable,  that  when  they  shall  find  this 


*HE  AFRICAN  COLONr»  83^ 

to  be  the  case,  and  the  truth  shall  be  brought  home  to 
their  understandings  by  irresistible  evidence,  that  the 
prejudices  entertained  against  them  by  white  people 
are  unconquerable,  they  will  then  wish  to  resort  to  thai 
very  expedient  to  relieve  themselves,  to  which  they  al 
this  time  discover  so  strong  a  repugriancCo 

Ah.  Jones, — It  is  not  impossible.  Even  in  Heavei,. 
we  are  not  indulged  the  privilege  of  foreseeing  future 
events.  It  is  not  in  my  power  therefore  to  predict 
what  the  African  nation  at  a  future  day  may  be  willing 
to  perform.  Perhaps  at  a  remote  period,  too,  they  ma^f 
be  able  to  accomplish  the  object  now  contemplated,, 
without  encountering  so  many  privations  and  perils  up- 
on the  part  of  the  adventurers,  or  without  jeoparding^ 
ptS  some  think  they  must  do,  the  best  interests  of  others-. 

Paul  €ufec,—  l  QiiwviOi  imagine  what  you  mean  hj 
«uch  an  insinuation*  Whose  interests  could  be  put  m 
jeopardy  by  a  measure  of  this  nature? 

A'u  Jones. — There  are  not  wanting  those,  and  some 
serious  and  refiecting  men  too,  who  have  imbibed  the 
opinion,  that  this  attempt  at  colonization,  if  successful 
would  tend  to  check,  if  not  entirely  put  a  stop  to  the 
em^incipation  of  slaves. 

Penn, — Indeed!  a  most  strange  idea  I  The  direct 
.contradictory  of  the  proposition,  would  seem  to  be  the 
natural  and  unavoidable  inferen'.e.  I  should  certainly 
be  disposed  to  think  that  the  planting  of  such  a  colony 
would  contribute  to  the  raanumissi.)ii  of  more  slaves  in 
half  a  century,  thavi  will  be  manumitted  by  nny  expe- 
dients now  adopted,  or  likely  to  be  adopted,  for  some 
centuries  to  come.  But  upon  what  concei.val''e  grnuni 
do  thev  rest  such  an  opinion  ? 

43 


*i38  DIALOGUES  ON 

Ah,  Jones. — It  is  thought  that  this  colony,  -when  once 
flourishing,  will  attract  to  it  all  the  free  people  of  col- 
our, and  thus,  by  drawing  them  offfrom  the  United  States, 
relieve  the  southern  planters  from  their  apprehensions 
for  the  tranquillity  of  the  country,  and  at  the  same  time, 
by  increasing  the  value  of  the  remaining  slaves,  disin- 
cline them,  on  both  accounts,  to  part  with  this  species 
of  property. 

Penn. — The  argument,  though  plausible,  is  evidently 
founded  in  very  great  misapprehension  of  the  state  of 
the  case — So  far  from  this  statement  being  true,  or  there 
being  any  shadow  of  reason  for  a  surmise  of  this  nature, 
it  is  a  well  known  fact,  that  there  are  many  gentlemen 
in  the  Southern  States,  who  stand  ready  at  any  moment, 
to  set  their  slaves  at  liberty,  as  soon  as  they  are  convin- 
ced that  they  can  do  so  consistently  with  the  duties  they 
owe  society ;  or  in  other  words,  as  soon  as  it  shall  ap- 
pear that  a  measure  of  this  kind  will  promote  the  sub- 
stantial interests  of  the  slaves  themselves,  not  endanger 
the  peace  and  welfare  of  the  stat^,  and  be  conformed  to 
the  maxims  of  a  true  and  enlarged  humanity — The  expe- 
rience of  our  southern  planters,  many  of  whom  are  in- 
telligent men,  is  leading  them  rapidly  to  the  conclusion, 
that  from  motives  of  interest,  as  well  as  justice  and  hu- 
manity, they  should  liberate  their  slaves  as  fast  as  possi- 
ble, if  any  comfortable  provision  could  be  made  for 
them  ;  since  the  existence  of  slavery  shuts  the  door 
against  the  emigration  of  white  people  ;  and,  moreover, 
their  lands  are  never  so  disadvantag<eously  cultivated  as 
b}'^  an  order  of  men  who  feel  no  personal  interest  in  the 
soil  or  its  productions.  They  are  becoming  convinced, 
therefore  that  an  enlightened  policy,  as  well  as  the 
claims  of  justice,   exact  from  them  this  sacrifice.     No 


THE    AFRICAN    COLOXY.  839 

sooner,  then,  shall  this  colony  be  established  upon  the 
coast  of  Africa,  and  regarded  as  affording  a  safe  retreat 
for  this  unfortunate  people,  than  we  should  see  thou- 
sands of  them  voluntarily  released  from  bondage  by 
those  masters  who  are  at  present  restrained  from  this  act 
of  justice  and  generosity  by  the  fear  of  inflicting  an  inju- 
ry both  upon  the  slaves  manumitted  and  upon  society. 
Upon  the  slaves  themselves,  by  rendering  them  idle,  vi- 
tious,  and  desperate  ; — and  upon  society,  by  letting  loose 
upon  it  those  who  in  all  probability  will  become  vaga- 
bonds, plunderers,  and  pests.  All  objections  of  this 
nature  will  be  removed  by  obtaining  a  home  for  them 
in  the  manner  contemplated  ;  and  as  soon  as  this  is  done, 
every  bondman  in  the  Southern  States  will  be  regarded, 
by  the  humane,  as  a  captive  in  a  hostile  land,  and  the 
most  strenuous  endeavours  be  made  use  of  to  redeem 
him.  More  societies  than  already  subsist,  would  be  in- 
stituted for  the  purpose  ;  their  powers  of  usefulness  en- 
largad  ;  and  their  resources  vastly  augmented.  The 
wealthy  men  of  America,  whose  hearts  are  touched  with 
compassion,  would  consider  their  treasures  as  nobly  ex- 
pended in  such  a  cause  ;  and  even  the  government  of 
the  United  States,  guided  by  the  same  large  and  liberal 
policy  which  led  to  the  prohibition  of  the  Slave  Trade, 
would  cheerfully  appropriate  a  portion  of  its  revenue  in 
accomplishing  objects  of  such  high  national  importance, 
as  to  relieve  the  American  institutions  of  civil  policy 
from  the  only  blot  that  sullies  them  ;  to  restore  so  many 
human  beings  to  the  station  and  privileges  of  freemen  ; 
and  to  rescue  the  southern  section  of  the  union  from 
those  dreadful  commotions  and  tragical  disasters  which 
at  some  future  day  may  flow  to  them  from  this  fountain. 
From  the  operation  of  all  these  causes  united,  there  can 


u^ 


DIALOGUES  or? 


Irsrdly  ren)ain  a  doubt  that  the  United  States,  in  the 
eawrse  of  a  few  years,  would  be  relieved  from  their 
greatest  national  sin,  and  the  most  portentous  evil  lurk- 
ing in  their  vitals. 

Ab,  Jmes. — But  is  it  not  probable  that  these  results 
Ivill  be  as  surely  and  speedily  produced  by  the  methods 
tiow  set  into  action  to  further  the  emancipation  of  slaves 
and  that  the  time  will  come  in  which  no  such  thing  as  a 
bondman  will  be  found  in  this  great  republic  ? 

Pevrio — Such  is  the  high  estimate  which  I  have  form- 
ed of  the  American  character,  and  such  the  deep  root 
which  I  am  confident  the  principles  of  freedom  have  ta- 
ken in  the  republic,  I  do  not  entertain  a  doubt  that  in 
the  course  of  time  there  will  not  be  a  slave  in  the  wide 
extent  of  that  country  :  but  at  the  same  time  I  must  be 
so  candid  as  to  affirm,  that  this  period  must  be  at  present 
a  very  remote  one.  There  are  no  symptoms  that  de 
note  its  speedy  arrival.  If  some  means,  more  effectual 
than  those  which  are  now^  in  operation,  are  not  resort- 
ed to,  to  effectuate  the  manumission  of  slaves,  it  is  im- 
possible for  the  imagination  to  descry,  down  the  long 
iapse  of  time,  the  termination  of  tliis  crying  eviL 
Through  many  a  tedious  century  to  come,  will  the  crie? 
and  groans  of  this  afflicted  race  ascend  to  Heaven,  im- 
portuning its  pity,  before  they  obtain  relief  from  any 
succours  which  are  now  afforded  them. 

Aj.  Jones, — It  is  certain  that  they  will  not  obtain 
their  freedom,  as  long  as  those  southern  nabobs  con- 
ceive it  their  interest,  or  have  it  in  their  power,  to  re- 
tain them  in  servitude.  To  relieve  themselves  from 
future  utieasiness,  alarm,  and  perhaps  massacre,  we  find 
'hem  ready  to  engage  in  a  scheme  of  colonization  ;  but 
h\\  their  movements  of  this  kind  are  naturally  viewed 


TFIE  AFRICAN  tOLONF*  S41 

trith  a  suspicious  eye  by  the  race  which  they  have  en- 
slaved and  oppressed. 

Penn. — The  language  of  reproach  and  recrimination 
may  be  indulged  to  those  who  have  received  sucli  bit- 
ter provocations  ;  but  I  cannot  but  view  with  displeas- 
ure and  regret  the  style  of  invective  in  which  the  people 
of  the  Northern  St^ites  sometimes  speak,  on  this  subject, 
of  their  southern  brethren.  Instead  of  tending  to  pro- 
mote the  great  purpose  of  meliorating  the  condition  of 
the  slaves,  it  rather  inflames  a  spirit  of  animosity,  and 
sows  the  seeds  of  discord  between  the  two  great  sections 
of  the  American  union.  No  one,  indeed,  can  utter 
himself  in  terms  of  too  decided  reprobation  and  deep 
abhorrence  of  slavery;  and  in  this  sentiment  lie  will 
be  joined  by  every  intelligent  man  at  the  south  ;  and 
where  unnecessary  rigour  or  an  odious  revenge  and  cru- 
elty are  exercised  towaros  them — (and  hard  and  cruel 
masters  will  be  found  among  every  community,  and 
the  authority  of  the  master,  when  armed  with  despotic 
sway,  will  display  itself  in  acts  of  violence  and  atrocity) 
— let  every  tongue  be  loud  and  bold  in  exclaiming 
against  it,  and  the  public  indignation  be  roused  into  ac- 
tion to  punish  and  repress  it.  While  the  northern  peo- 
ple are  thus  faithful  to  the  dictates  of  nature,  and  alive  to 
the  sentiments  of  humanity,  let  them  not  be  unjust,  in 
the  opinion  which  they  entertain  of  their  southern 
neighbours.  The  evils  that  are  perceptible  in  the 
Southern  manners  and  habits  are  not  so  much  the  result 
of  any  distinctive  traits  of  character  in  the  masters  and 
slaves,  as  they  are  the  natural  offspring  of  a  state  of 
slavery.  This  will  ever  be  found,  and  more  especially 
in  a  free  country,  a  condition  of  human  life  in  which 
evil  will  accumulate  upon  evil.     The  slave,  galled  by 


342  DIALOGUES  ON 

the  yoke  of  his  thraldom,  will  be  perpetually  prone  to 
disobedience  and  resistance  to  the  exercise  of  what,  if 
he  has  any  discernment,  he  cannot  but  feel  to  be  a  ty- 
rannical authority;  and  this  will  occasion  irritation,  re- 
sentment, revenge,  and  even  cruelty,  on  the  part  of  the 
master.  If  the  possession  of  absolute  power  by  any  single 
man  in  a  state  is  so  apt  to  convert  that  man  into  a  monster 
of  arrogance  and  cruelty,  and  to  dispose  his  subjects 
to  tumult  and  revolt,  what  must  be  expected  when 
the  laws  them.selves  constitute  so  many  petty  tyrants, 
whose  will  is  their  only  rule  of  action,  and  whose 
passions  are  subject  to  no  restraints.  On  these  and 
other  accounts,  it  is  perceptible  to  every  observer,  that 
the  southern  planters  are  of  all  other  cultivators  of  the 
soil  the  most  anxious  and  unhappy.  Of  these  circum- 
stances they  are  themselves  becoming  every  day  more 
and  more  convinced,  and  hence  the  cheerfulness  and 
alacrity  with  which  they  catch  at  every  opportunity  of 
ridding  themselves,  without  ruin  to  their  families,  of 
this  portion  of  their  population.  No  people  are  more 
alive  to  the  claims  of  justice,  humanity  and  generosity. 
It  is  the  nature  of  their  ardent  sun  to  kindle  the  fires  of 
all  the  noblest  virtues;  and  I  am  assured  they  want  on- 
ly a  favourable  opportunity  to  display  these  qualities  to- 
wards that  degraded  class  of  their  fellow-men,  which 
every  humane  and  intelligent  man  among  them  is  dis- 
posed, from  his  heart,  and  by  every  effort  in  his  power, 
to  pity  and  console. 

Jl-\  Jones. — If  these  be  their  sentiments,  is  there  not 
a  flagrant  inconsistency  between  their  principles  and 
conduct?  Let  them  set  their  slaves  at  once  at  liberty, 
and  show,  by  this  liberal  act,  their  sense  of  justice  and 
sacred  regard  to  the  rights  of  mankind. 


THE  AFRICAN  COLONY.  343 

Term. — It  would  surely  require  but  a  very  small  de- 
gree of  insight  into  the  affairs  of  mankind  to  perceive 
that  a  sudden  and  indiscriminate  emancipation  of  slaves 
in  the  Southern  States,  would  not  only  be  a  measure  not 
advisable  or  expedient;  but  in  the  highest  degree  de- 
structive. It  would  uptear  the  social  state  from  its  very 
foundation,  and  make  of  it  for  a  time,  but  one  dreary 
scene  of  desolation  and  ruin.  The  soil  would  be  left 
uncultivated;  families  impoverished ;  the  broken  rem- 
nants of  men's  fortunes  would  be  plundered  and  destroy- 
ed ;  one  scene  of  tumult  and  combustion  would  succeed 
another;  and  the  nation  sink  into  a  state  of  anarchy  and 
confusion.  All,  therefore,  that  can  be  anticipated,  by 
any  rational  and  reflecting  man,  is  the  gradual  and  judi- 
cious emancipation  of  slaves.  And  in  what  way  is  this 
great  object  to  be  most  speedily  and  effectually  accom- 
plished ?  No  plan  could  be  devised  so  wisely  adapted 
to  the  end,  as  the  plantation  of  the  colony  contempla- 
ted. 

Ab,  Jones. — If  the  southern  gentlemen  feel  so  benev- 
olently disposed  towards  them,  why  not  gradually  re- 
release  them,  of  their  own  will,  from  servitude  ?  It  is 
at  least  in  the  power  of  each  to  set  his  own  slaves  at 
liberty  ? 

Penn. — Much  has  already  been  effected  by  individu- 
al acts  of  this  nature  ;  but  even  here  we  have  to  lament 
that,  from  the  depravity  of  human  nature,  it  has  been 
found  necessary  to  throw  some  restraints  upon  such  ef- 
forts of  private  generosity,  from  a  regard  to  the  public 
good.  In  Virginia  such  serious  evils  have  arisen  out 
of  a  partial  emancipation,  out  of  that  mixed  condition 
in  which  some  men  of  the  same  complexion,  rank  and 
habits  have  been  allowed  to  have  their  freedom,  and 
others  to  be  retained  in  servitude,  that  a  law  has  lately 


844  DIALOGUES    ON 

passed  the  legislature  of  that  state,  prohibiting  all  citi> 
zens  from  manumitting  their  slaves,  unless  provision  be 
made  at  the  same  tiaie  for  their  removal  from  the  state. 
This  measure  reveals  to  us  an  important  secret,  in  re- 
ference to  this  subject,  of  the  extreme  tardiness  with 
which  the  business  of  emancipation  will  proceed,  if  it 
be  acted  upon  only  by  causes  within  the  States,  and  not 
propelled  and  accelerated  by  foreign  springs. 

A'f.  Jones.— T\\h  is,  indeed,  a  most  discouraging  view 
of  this  matter.  My  heart  sinks  and  dies  within  me  upon 
the  contemplation  of  it.  Is  there,  then,  no  hope  of 
more  sure  and  speedy  relief  to  those  distressed  bondmen 
In  the  southern  section  of  the  American  union  ? 

Paul  Cufee.—\  can  see  no  hope  for  them  but  in  the 
plantation  of  this  African  colony.  This  step  will  soon 
afford  a  prompt  and  effectual  relief.  Often  did  my  mind 
dwell  upon  this  matter  during  m.y  life,  until  ray  heart 
melted  with  pity  ;  my  feelings  glowed  to  enthusiasm  ; 
and  I  would  have  encountered  any  privations,  toils, 
sufferings  and  death,  for  the  deliverance  of  my  coun- 
trymen. Could  I  descend  again  to  earth  I  would  be- 
come a  missionary  in  this  holy  cause.  I  would  never 
cease  my  importunities  to  the  free  people  of  colour  un- 
til I  induced  them  to  embark  in  that  undertaking,  by 
which  they  may  render  themselves  the  saviours  of  their 
southern  brethren.  Can  they  set  themselves  down  in 
ease  and  comfort,  and  listen  with  indifference  to  the 
sighs  and  groans  and  bitter  complaints,  wrung  from  their 
brethren  by  their  sufferings  T  Can  they  without  resolu- 
tions of  encountering  any  evils  for  their  rescue,  con^ 
template  their  hardships  and  toils,  their  hunger  thirst 
and  nakedness  ;  the  tortures  to  which  they  are  but  too 
often  exposed  ;    the  tumults   and  butcheries  to  which 


THE  AFRICAN  COLONY.  343 

they  will  give  rise  at  every  future  period,  by  their  fran- 
tic and  convulsive  efforts  to  release  themselves  ?  Shall 
the  cry  of  their  sorrows  by  reason  of  their  task-masters, 
for  ever  ascend  to  heaven,  and  no  succour  be  extended 
to  them  ? 

Penn, — Is  there  no  Moses  among  them  to  carry  this 
second  Israel  out  of  Egypt,  and  conduct  them  to  the 
promised  land  ? 

Paul  Cufee» — Would  that  God  himself  would  raise 
up  a  prophet  like  unto  Moses^  to  redeem  this  enslaved 
and  much  injured  nation  ! 

Pe7in, — What  has  been  already  adverted  to  during 
the  progress  of  these  conversations,  I  consider  as  con- 
clusive arguments  in  favour  of  this  expedition;  but 
when,  passing  from  the  present  moment,  I  allow  my  im- 
agination to  take  a  more  extensive  range,  and  trace  this 
great  undertaking  to  its  ultimate  consequences,  my  mind 
h  filled  with  the  most  sublime  conceptions,  and  my  heart 
dilated  with  the  most  delightful  anticipations.  Let  the 
colony  be  once  supposed  planted,  and  become  flourish- 
ing, and  what  will  be  the  unavoidable  results  ?  It  will 
gradually  attract  to  its  sphere  every  slave  in  America. 
In  this  single  consideration,  what  a  feast  would  be  af- 
forded to  the  philanthropic  mind !  Those  who  Avere 
dragged  by  violence  from  the  land  of  their  fathers; 
doomed  to  miserable  bondage ;  and  having  their  ears 
greeted  only  with  the  clanking  of  chains,  and  the  sighs 
and  groans  of  their  unhappy  associates,  now  return  to 
the  land  of  their  forefathers,  their  native  home,  singing 
the  songs  of  triumph,  and  bearing  the  standard  of  liber- 
ty. How  rich  will  be  the  return,  and  how  noble  the 
reparation,  which  America  will  make  to  Africa,  for  all  the 
injuries  she  has  done  her!     For  the  wretched  captives 

44 


344  DIALOGUES   Om 

of  which  she  had  deprived  her  and  doomed  to  siaver)f, 
she  restores  her  an  industrious  and  humanized  people, 
bearing  with  them  to  her  bosom  the  arts  and  improve- 
ments, the  religion  and  laws  of  civilized  society  !  Thus 
that  which  was  the  greatest  curse  of  mankind, -is  unex- 
pectedly, under  the  direction  of  Heaven,  transmuted  in- 
to their  most  signal  blessing  ! 

Paul  Ciifec. — This,  indeed,  is  a  most  delightful  anti- 
cipation. Bat  I  do  not  even  stop  here,  in  pursuing  the 
train  of  consequences.  I  regale  my  fancy  with  brighter 
prospects,  and  more  splendid  visions  of  future  glory  to 
my  race  and  nation.  1  beliold  the  enterprising  people 
Avho  engage  in  this  scheme,  becoming  missionaries  of  the 
Christian  faith,  and  erecting  the  structure  of  pure  reli- 
gion, upon  the  ruins  of  the  gloomy  doctrines  and  idola- 
trous rites  of  paganism.  I  behold  at  their  approach  the 
wilderness  blossom  as  the  rose;  the  arts,  sciences,  com- 
merce, manufactures  and  agriculture,  spring  up  and 
flourish  together.  The  banks  of  the  Gambia,  the  Sene- 
gal and  the  Congo,  are  studded  with  magnificent  cities 
and  villages,  and  resound  with  the  hum  of  industry.  A 
new  and  mighty  empire  rises  to  my  view,  founded  upon 
republican  principles,  and  participating  its  liberties  and 
its  glories.  I  see  its  armies  extending  its  conquests 
throughout  that  continent,  and  its  navy  covering  the 
ocean.  I  behold  the  united  influence  of  Christianity, 
civilization  and  good  government,  radiating  from  this 
point,  and  at  length  diffusing  itself  to  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other  crossing  the  de- 
sart  of  Zaara,  overspreading  the  southern  shores  of  the 
Mediterranean.  The  Crescent  is  again  made  to  bow 
to  the  Cross;  and  Christian  nations,  nations  friendly  to 
civilized  man,  take  possession  of  those  capitals  now  oc- 


THE  AFRICAN  COLONY.  345 

Gupied  by  pirates  and  robbers,  whose  thirst  for  ])]ood  is 
whetted  by  religions  animosity,  and  stimulated  by  the 
lust  of  plunder.  I  behold  tliis  empire  crowning  all  its 
other  glories  with  the  splendour  of  literary  fame.  I  see 
it  rivalling,  if  not  eclipsing,  the  most  celebrated  nations 
in  science  and  the  arts.  I  perceive  its  philosophers 
solving  the  phenomena  of  nature  ;  its  orators  thunder- 
ing in  the  pulpit  and  at  the  bar  ;  its  senators  enlighten- 
ing the  councils  of  the  nation  ;  and  its  statesmen  sway- 
ing, with  a  firm  but  equal  hand,  the  sceptre  of  empire  ; 
its  poets,  painters  and  sculptors,  animating  by  the  magic 
touch,  the  lyre,  tlie  canvass  and  the  marble.  Overcome 
with  the  scene  v/hich  my  fancy  has  painted,  I  can  only 
exclaim,  amidst  the  rapture  of  emotion,  Heaven  grant 
that  these  visions  may  be  realized  ! 

Pe7in. — My  most  fervent  aspirations  ascend  to  Hea- 
ven with  yours,  on  this  subject.  The  day  that  beholds 
such  an  expedition  embark  from  the  shores  of  America, 
should  be  celebrated  as  a  jubilee,  throughout  the  civili- 
zed world.  Those  who  shall  have  the  honour  to  enlist 
in  the  enterprise,  will  have  their  names  consecrated  in 
the  memory  of  all  succeeding  ages. 

Ah,  Jones, — I  can  resist  such  considerations  no  long- 
er. The  prospects  that  open  to  my  view  are  too  grati- 
fying not  to  excite  my  enthusiasm.  My  objections  have 
been  refuted  ;  my  scruples  vanquished ;  and  all  my 
doubts  satisfied.  Heaven  speed  the  undertaking ! — 
Arouse,  my  countrymen,  to  a  sense  of  its  importance, 
and  make  it  redound  to  the  present  and  everlasting  inter- 
ests of  the  African  nation. 


NOTE  M. 


HINTS  FOR  IMPROVING  SCHOOLS  AND  COL 
LEGES, 


The  following  extracts  from  the  charter  of  Franklin 
College,  are  deemed  so  important,  as  to  deserve  partic- 
ular notice : — 

"  The  public  schools  instituted  or  to  be  supported  by 
funds  or  public  moneys,  in  this  state,  shall  be  consider- 
ed as  parts  or  members  of  the  university,  and  shall  be 
under  the  foregoing  directions  and  regulations." 

"  The  president  of  the  university,  as  often  as  the  du- 
ties of  his  station  will  permit,  at  least  once  a  year,  shall 
visit  them,  and  examine  into  their  order  and  performan- 
ces." 

In  a  country  like  ours,  where  the  interests  of  science 
do  not  experience  extensively  the  benefits  of  legislative 
patronage,  literature,  left  to  depend  upon  her  own  con- 
tingent resources,  must  be  expected  to  make  slow  pro- 
gress in  accomplishing  her  views.  Her  success  will 
depend,  in  a  very  great  degree,  upon  the  wisdom,  zeal 
and  energy,  which  characterize  the  system  pursued  in 
the  seminaries  established  for  the  promotion  of  litera- 
ture. 

The  interests  of  classical  science,  in  the  United  States, 
are  suffering  materially,  from  that  want  of  uniformity 


348  HINTS  FOR  IMPROVING 

in  elementary  books,  which  generally  prevails.  The 
variety  exhibited  by  our  schools  and  colleges,  in  this 
respect,  corresponds  fully  with  the  varieties  of  climate, 
soil  and  character,  which  oar  country  in  general  sus- 
tains. This  want  of  uniformity  exists,  not  only  between 
the  northern  and  southern  districts  of  our  country,  but 
is  found  unfortunately  to  prevail  in  the  central  regions, 
and  in  schools  and  seminaries  situated  quite  contiguous 
to  one  another.  It  would  facilitate  the  progress  of 
youth  in  a  collegiate  course,  to  make  all  their  prepara- 
tory books  of  study,  on  every  subject,  bear  as  much  gen- 
eral resemblance,  as  circumstances  would  permit. 

From  the  frequent  migrations  from  school  to  school, 
which  take  place  among  pupils,  and  from  the  examina- 
tions for  entrance  into  college  which  constantly  occur, 
it  is  discovered  that  there  are  in  use  in  our  schools  and 
academies,  a  great  number  of  distinct  grammars,  both 
in  the  Greek  and  Latin  language.  In  the  course  of 
these  removals,  which  are  often  unavoidable  and  ad- 
vantageous, cases  frequently  occur,  in  which  it  be- 
comes necessary,  either  to  permit  the  pupils,  entering 
upon  a  new  situation,  to  continue  in  the  use  of  the  ele- 
mentary books  they  have  been  accustomed  to,  which 
impedes  their  progress  and  introduces  confusion  into 
the  school,  or  to  compel  them  to  lay  aside  the  grammars 
thpy  first  -rxquired,  and  commence  others,  very  different 
in  form  and  expression,  which  is  imposing  upon  them  a 
heavy  burden,  productive  of  no  real  good  to  the  learner, 
and  leaves  him  liable,  between  his  faint  recollection  of 
the  former  and  imperfect  knowledge  of  the  latter,  to  be- 
come really  and  thoroughly  acquainted  with  neither. 

The  evil  here  complained  of,  is  felt  more  extensively, 
in  more  large  and  important  institutions.      The  system 


SCHOOLS    AWD    COLLEGES.  349 

now  pursued  is  calculated  to  compel  the  great  mass  of 
students  who  receive  a  collegiate  education,  to  enter 
one  of  the  lower  classes,  in  which  the  classics  are  read 
and  in  which  uniformity  cannot  be  dispensed  with,  with- 
out injury  to  the  institution  as  well  as  to  the  pupils. 

The  provisions  exhibited  in  the  preceding  "  Extracts'* 
from  the  charter  of  Franklin  College,  are  calculated  to 
remedy  this  evil  in  a  certain  degree.  Dr.  Finley,  who 
had  long,  at  the  head  of  his  flourishing  Academy  at 
Basking  Kidge,  lamented  the  existence  of  the  evil  re- 
ferred to,  contemplated  this  trait  in  the  character  of  the 
university  of  Georgia  with  lively  interest,  and  anticipa- 
ted from  it  many  happy  results.  At  the  very  first  oppor- 
tunity offered,  he  entered  on  that  part  of  his  official 
duty  as  president  of  that  college,  which  is  intimated  in 
the  latter  of  the  two  extracts  and  actually  visited  four 
of  the  public  schools  of  Georgia  in  his  fatal  tour. 

The  plan  suggested  in  the  preceding  extracts,  if  sub- 
stantially complied  with,  would  produce  many  import- 
ant advantages.  The  annual  visit  of  the  president  to 
the  several  academies  in  the  state,  in  connexion  with 
the  idea  of  their  subordination  to  him  and  to  the  insti- 
tution over  which  he  presides,  would  stimulate  the 
scholars  and  their  teachers  to  greater  diligence  in  their 
respective  duties,  and  might  be  employed  as  an  import- 
ant auxiliary  in  the  instruction  and  discipline  of  the 
several  institutions  embraced  in  this  connexion.  And 
under  such  a  system  of  regulation,  it  would  be  easy  to 
give  strict  uniformity  to  the  collegiate  establishment,  in 
all  its  members  and  departments.  This  regulation, 
which  occupies  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  charter  of 
Franklin  College,  appears  to  be  pre-eminently  wise 
and  useful,  and  may  be  rendered  exceedingly  beneficial 


;^5(*  HINTS    FOR    IMPROVING 

to  that  institution,  to  the  literature  of  Georgia,  and  to 
that  of  the  surrounding  country. 

Would  not  the  introduction  of  similar  arrangements, 
through  our  country  in  general,  be  practicable  in  itself, 
and  productive  of  important  advantages  to  all  our  litera- 
ry institutions  ?  Might  not  every  college  establish  a  con- 
nexion of  this  kind  with  those  grammar  schools  which 
are  situated  in  its  vicinity  or  from  which  it  usually  re- 
ceives its  pupils,  on  the  condition  of  affording  its  pat- 
ronage, giving  direction  in  regard  to  the  subjects  of 
study,  furnishing  auxiliary  teachers,  perhaps  sending 
with  the  consent  of  the  schools,  annually,  an  examining 
committee,  and  requiring  the  schools,  in  return  for  these 
favours,  to  adopt  their  course  of  instruction,  to  the  sys- 
tem pursued  in  the  college  with  which  they  stand  thus 
connected.^  The  proposed  connexion  might  be  made 
happily  instrumental  in  exciting  and  fostering  the  prin- 
ciple of  emulation  between  these  subordinate  institu- 
tions, and  on  the  whole,  extensively  conducive  to  the 
cause  of  science.  And  would  it  not  probably  operate, 
with  ingenuous  youth,  as  a  strong  incentive  to  industry 
in  study,  if  the  college,  in  each  of  the  contemplated 
associations,  should  appoint  a  premium,  to  be  conferred 
upon  the  best  scholar  admitted  annually  into  each  of  its 
classes  from  the  allied  seminaries  1 

To  introduce  entire  uniformity  into  the  American 
system  of  education,  would  it  not  be  advisable  for  those 
colleges  which  can  be  brought  to  adopt  the  same  ele- 
mentary books  ill  the  several  departments,    classical, 

*  Such  a  plan  having  beeu  adopted,  inforraation  of  it,  pbould  be  given  to  the 
public,  that  they  who  are  abodt  to  commence  the  education  of  their  sons,  may 
be  able  to  couform  their  first  studies  to  the  system  puriu«d  in  the  institution  w. 
which  they  are  expected  to  complete  their  literary  course. 


SCHOOLS    AND    COLLEGES.  351 

mathematical  and  philosophical,  to  select,  arrange  and 
publish  a  complete  set  of  studies,  to  be  distinguished 
and  known  as  the  particular  studies  of  these  institutions? 
And,  should  this  arrangement  be  found  impracticable, 
would  it  not  be  highly  advantageous  for  each  college 
to  make  this  selection  for  its  own  use,  and  as  far  as  ne- 
cessary, for  the  accommodation  of  its  subordinate 
schools  ?     By  this  measure 

1.  Money  miglit  be  saved  to  the  learner. 

Most  of  the  books  now  used  in  schools  and  colleges, 
are  published  in  a  style  of  execution  more  costly  than 
necessary,  and  are  bought  at  too  dear  a  rate.  In  many 
instances  the  expense  of  procuring  a  whole  work  is  in- 
curred, while  only  a  small  portion  of  it  is  read  or  studi- 
ed. The  paper  is  often  thin  and  perishable,  and  the 
binding  very  slight  and  inferior.  In  the  proposed  pub- 
lication these  disadvantages  might  easily  be  remedied. 
The  materials  and  the  workmanship  should  be  of  the 
most  substantial  and  durable  nature.  All  unnecessary 
matter  it  is  proposed  to  leave  out. 

2.  On  the  plan  here  contemplated,  accuracy^  in  classi* 
cal  books,  might  be  restored. 

The  Latin  and  Greek  authors  printed  in  this  country 
abound  so  exceedingly  with  typographical  errors  that 
very  great  injury  is  sustained  from  the  use  of  them  in 
schools.  When  inaccuracies  frequently  occur,  the 
teacher  is  incessantly  harrassed  and  the  business  of 
school  interrupted,  by  applications  to  have  the  classical 
text  examined,  and  existing  errors  exposed  and  correct- 
ed. In  this  manner  much  time  is  lost  and  the  school  is 
injured  ;  and,  besides,  the  student,  always  ready  to  im- 
pute difficulty  to  inaccuracy  and  to  suspend  his  efforts 
till  doubt  is  removed,  finds  his  diligence  in  application 


352  HINTS    FOR    IMPROVING 

and  independent  exercise  of  thought  much  impaired* 
These  disadvantages  have  been  experienced  so  seriously, 
that  it  has  been  judged  expediejit  in  some  instances  to 
keep  a  European  edition,  of  the  principal  authors  read, 
as  a  standard  to  refer  to — a  fact  disgraceful  and  humilia- 
ting to  American  scholars ! 

3.  The  proposed  publication  might  be  made  entirely 
free  from  those  impurities,  with  which  some  of  the  best 
classical  writers  unhappily  abound.  Retaining  passa- 
ges, which  convey  insinuations  against  religion  and 
morals  and  which  are  of  an  obscene  and  vitiating  ten- 
dency in  those  hooks  which  are  very  early  put  into  the 
hands  of  youth,  to  be  carefully  studied,  is  very  mani- 
festly dangerous  and  improper.  It  would  be  a  favor,  of 
no  common  magnitude,  to  the  principles  and  morals  of 
literary  youth,  to  have  every  thing  licentious,  low,  and 
polluting,  removed  from  our  classical  authors.  A 
remedy  might  thus  be  furnished  for  the  evils  and  the 
dangers  arising  from  making  our  j^oung  men  whom  we 
wish  to  lead  to  the  knowledge  of  the  one  only  living 
and  true  God,  too  early  and  too  intimately  acquainted 
with  Grecian  and  Pvoman  Polytheism — with  the  fictions 
and  absurdities  of  their  mythology — and  with  the  vices 
and  follies  of  their  imaginary  deities. 

4.  This  measure  would  contribute  very  extensively 
to  that  uniformity  which  is  so  much  desired.  Wherever 
this  work  would  circulate,  the  plan  of  education  pursu- 
ed in  the  institution,  which  had  given  it  existence  might 
be  fully  understood,  and  easily  followed.  The  public 
in  general,  teachers  and  schools  especially,  would  know 
precisely  in  what  manner,  the  preliminary  studies  of  a 
candidate  for  that  college  must  be  conducted,  to  obtain 
for  him  an  easy  and  honorable  admission  into  it. 


SCHOOLS  AND  COLLEGES.  353 

Might  we  not  adopt  with  some  prudent  modifications 
in  oar  literary  iiistitiitions,  that  part  of  the  ancient  Jew- 
ish system  of  education,  in  which  they  trained  their  pu- 
pils to  an  acquaintance  with  mechanical*  pursuits,  in 
connexion  with  letters  and  science,  and  while  they 
strengthened  and  enriched  the  minds  of  their  scholars 
with  literary  culture,  established  them  in  the  practical 
knowledge  of  the  useful  arts  and  mechanical  employ- 
ments of  life  ?  If  acquiring  practical  knowledge  of  me- 
chanics, of  gardening,  of  agriculture  could  be  made  to 
occupy  a  portion  of  that  time  which  is  commonly  spent 
in  idleness  and  amusement,  and  be  brought  to  answer 
the  purpose  of  necessary  exercise,  several  additional  ob- 
jects of  considerable  importance  would  be  in  some  de- 
gree gained,  by  the  alteration. 

Many  ofthe  ordinary  complaints  such  as  bruises,  sprains, 
local  inflammations,  and  fevers  which  most  commonly 
occur  among  boys  at  public  schools,  arise  from  the  ir- 
regular and  violent  exertions  which  they  make  in  their 
ordinary»plays.  The  substitute  here  suggested,  besides 
preventing  in  a  great  degree  these  evils  and  dangers, 
and  that  fatigue  and  unfitness  for  study  produced  by 
violent  play,  would  aflford  much  more  certainly  and 
regularly  the  gentle  and  uniform  exercise  necessary  to 
the  health  and  vigour  ofthe  youthful  constitution. 

*  See  Stackhoiise's  Flistory  Bible  8  vo  vol.  6,  page  252.  *'  It  wag  a  received  cus- 
tom ainona;  the  Jew?,  for  every  man,  of  what  rauk  or  quality  soever,  to  learn  some 
handicraft;  for  one  of  their  proverbial  expressions  is,  that  whoever  teaches  not  his 
son  a  trade,  teaches  himto  be  a  thiff. 

See  also  \nnotationsor/)rusms  upon  Acts  18  chap — "  Sapienfes  olim  artificinm 
aliquod  exercehaut,  ne  ^ravarent  alios.  Sic  alius  eiat  coriarius — alius,  Librarius 
— alius,  calcearius,  aut  putor — aliu?,  pistor." 

See  also  Grotiu3 — ibidera — "  Mos  earat  etiam  doctlssimis  Judoeorum  opificium 
aliquod  discere,  unde,  ubi  res  ferret,  se  susteutarent.  Erant,  Pelliones,  Sutores, 
Pistores,  Librarii,  etra. 


354  HINTS  JOIl  IMPROVIN* 

Most  of  the  unhappy  exasperations  and  contlictSj 
which  take  place  among  boys  asserubled  at  school, 
o.iginate  in  their  warm  competitions  and  eager  endea- 
vours to  excel  each  other  in  the  games  and  amusements 
usually  resorted  to  in  leisure  hours.  Furnishing  an 
easy  and  effectual  remedy  for  this  evil  would  be  ac- 
complishing an  object  of  no  small  magnitude. 

One  great  object  contemplated  in  placing  boys  at 
school  ought  to  be  to  ascertain  the  degree  and  the  pe- 
culiar character  of  their  talents,  to  discover  towards 
what  objects  their  genius  tends  most  strongly,  with  a, 
view  to  the  judicious  direction  of  their  future  and  per- 
manent pursuits  in  life.^  In  order  to  bring  this  experi- 
ment to  a  successful  issue,  it  ought  not  to  be  partially 
made  ;  mechanic  arts  and  manual  employments  in  some 
measure  ought  to  be  placed  before  every  pupil  and  some 
attention  to  them  required.  Had  this  plan  been  faithfully 
pursued  heretofore,  our  academies  and  perhaps  colleges 
too,  would  have  produced  more  good  mechanics  and  not 
so  many  dull  literati  I 

*  The  following  anecdote  will  be  appropriate  here :  it  is  extracted  from  the 
Christian's  Magazine,  vol.  iii.  No.  8,  page  447. 

"  Some  years  ago  a  young  man  who  had  been  originally  a  maker  of  brooms,  and 
had  "  studied  divinity,"  as  it  is  termed  for  two  or  three  sessions,  was  exhibiting 
a  specimen  of  his  improvement  before  a  foreign  presbytery  :  and  acquitted  him- 
self so  little  to  their  satisfaction,  that  theyjudgpd  it  necessary  to  remand  him  to 
his  first  vocation,  as  more  commensurate  with  hlsi  abilities.  This  decision  was  an- 
nounced by  a  venerable  old  minister  in  the  following;  manner  : — "  Young  man  It  is 
the  duty  of  all  men  to  glorify  God.  But  he  calls  them  to  glorify  Him  in  different 
•ways,  according  to  j^ifts  he  bestows  on  tiiem  Some  Jie  calls  to  glorify  Him — by 
preaching  the  gospel  of  his  Son  ;  and  others  by  making  besoms,  (brooms.)  Now 
it  is  the  unanimous  judgment  of  this  presbytery  that  he  has  not  called  you  to 
the  ministry,  since  he  hds  not  qualified  you  for  it:  and  therefore  that  it  is  your 
duty  to  go  home  to  jovn  father  and  glorify  Gcd  by  decent  industry  in  making  bp^ 
soma." 


{SCHOOLS  AND  COLLEGES.  355 

The  plan  proposed  might  be  rendered  an  excellent 
security  against  the  noisy  habits,  and  above  all,  many  of 
the  vices,  of  which  too  much  leisure  and  amusement, 
are  the  fruitful  source. 

Could  not  the  alteration  here  contemplated  be  so 
modified  as  to  become  a  powerful  auxiliary  in  the  gov- 
ernment of  youth  ?  and  be  made  the  means  of  prevent- 
ing altogether  the  necessity  of  corporal  punishment  ? 

The  last  consideration  is,  that  every  man,  whatever 
his  grade  of  talent,  his  degree  of  education,  and  his 
sphere  in  life,  ought  to  have  a  practical  acquaintance 
with  some  mechanic  art.  Should  he  never  pursue  any 
branch  of  mechanical  employ,  his  progress  through  life, 
his  respectabilitj,  ease  and  comfort,  will  be  greatly  pro- 
moted by  a  general  acquaintance  with  the  common  ne- 
cessary and  useful  arts  and  occupations  of  men. 

Quid  munus  Reipublicoe  majus  aut  melius  offere  pos- 
simus,  quam  si  juventutem  bene  erudiamus  ? 

Cicero. 

Great  exertions  have  recently  been  made  to  estab- 
lish new  colleges  in  several  states  in  the  union,  and 
measures  have  been  adopted  in  some  of  the  best  institu- 
tions in  our  country,  to  enlarge  and  ameliorate  their 
capacity  for  the  accommodation  and  instruction  of  youth. 
JBut,  notwithstanding,  a  U/nversiiT/ \oc?ited  near  the  cen- 
tre of  the  United  States,  amply  endowed  and  extensive- 
ly patronised  by  the  national  government,  is  a  desidera- 
tum of  great  magnitude.  The  wise  and  patriotic  Wash- 
ington suggested  an  idea  of  this  nature  in  his  last  will 
and  testament,  and  the  reasons  on  which  he  founded  that 
intimation  are  still  applicable  in  all  their  force.  "  It  has 
been,"  says  he,  "my  ardent  wish  to  see  a  plan  devised 
on  a  liberal  scale,  which  would  liave  a  tendency  to 


356  HINTS  FOR  IMPROVING 

spread  systematic  ideas  through  all  parts  of  this  rising 
empire,  thereby  to  do  away  local  attachaients  and  st  >te 
prejudices,  as  far  as  the  nature  of  thincjs  uouid,  or  in- 
deed ought  to  admit,  from  our  national  councils.  Look- 
ing anxiously  forward  to  the  accomplishment  of  so  de- 
sirable an  object  as  this  is,  in  my  estimation,  my  mind 
has  not  been  able  to  contemplate  any  plan  more  likely 
to  effect  the  measure,  than  the  establishment  of  a  uni- 
versity in  a  central  part  of  the  United  States,  to  which 
the  youths  of  fortune  and  talents,  from  all  parts  thereof, 
might  be  sent  for  the  completion  of  their  education,  in 
all  the  branches  of  polite  literature,  in  the  arts  and  sci- 
ences, in  acquiring  knowledge  in  the  principles  of  poli- 
tics and  good  government :  and,  as  a  matter  of  infinite 
importance,  in  my  judgment,  by  associating  with  each 
other  and  forming  friendships  in  juvenile  years,  be  ena- 
bled to  free  themselves,  in  a  proper  degree,  from  those  lo- 
cal prejudices  and  habitual  jealousies  which  have  just 
been  mentioned,  and  which,  when  carried  to  excess,  are 
never  fdiling  sources  of  disquietude  to  the  public  mind, 
and  pregnant  of  mischievous  consequences." 

The  colleges  of  the  United  States  are  so  circumscri- 
bed in  their  resources  and  restricted  in  their  views,  as 
to  embrace  in  their  system  of  instruction  only  those 
subjects  which  are  most  common  and  essential  in  a  lite- 
rary course.  Other  objects,  hitherto  neglected,  are  be- 
coming hit;hly  interesting.  A  vniversih/,  established  on 
a  widely  extr^nded  scale,  so  as  to  comsprehend  them  all, 
would  be  truly  worthy  of  national  attention,  and  exten- 
sively conducive  to  national  honour  and  interest. 
■  This  institution,  besides  the  classical,  mathematical 
and  philosophical  professorships,  ought  to  possess. 


SCHOOLS  AND  COLLEGES.  357 

1.  A  theological  department,  amply  endowed  for  the 
purpose  of  teaching  the  elements  of  natural  and  reveal- 
ed religion,  biblical  and  ecclesiastical  history,  moral 
and  theological  s(  ience  in  general. 

2.  It  ought  to  include  a  professorship  for  the  langua- 
ges of  modern  Europe. 

This  would  be  a  great  convenience  to  young  men  of 
talent  and  enterprise,  seeidng  education  principally 
as  an  auxiliary  in  the  honourable  pursuits  of  foreign 
commerce.  It  would  afford  to  American  genius  a  more 
direct  and  easy  access  to  those  stores  of  polite  and  ac- 
complished literature,  which  have  been  accumulating 
for  centuries  in  the  South  of  Europe,  but  from  which 
our  sons  must  be  excluded  while  ignorant  of  the  lan- 
guages which  are  the  only  key  to  their  depositories. 
And  it  would  be  an  important  accommodation  to  that 
part  of  our  citizens  who  inhabit  the  regions  in  the  South 
and  West,  where  the  French  and  Spanisli  especially, 
are  becoming  almost  vernacular  tongues. 

3.  A  professorship  for  the  purpose  of  extending  the 
knowledge  of  the  languages  of  the  various  nations  of 
America,  Asia  and  Africa. 

Thfs  would  facilitate  the  necessary  intercourse  with 
the  American  tribes  both  in  treaty  and  in  traffic  ;  it 
Avould  furnish  a  ready  and  happy  assistant  in  carrying- 
on  the  lucrative  commerce  v,  ith  the  Eastern  World  ;  it 
would  extensively  aid  the  glorious  cause  of  foreign  mis- 
sions, in  promoting  which,  , every  American  statesman 
and  philanthropist  should  fee)  a  pride  and  an  intenst; 
it  would  enlars^e  the  compass  of  human  knowledge,  by 
extending  the  sphere  of  education  in  tin's  Western  land  ; 
and  in  the  course  of  time,  by  its  indirect  operation  on 
the  aborigines  of  India,  Africa*  and  America,  it  might 


358  HINTS  FOR  IMPROVING 

have  extensive  influence  in  producing  that  community 
of  sentiment  and  manners,  that  amelioration  of  aspect 
and  condition,  which  will  soon,  we  hope,  be  exhibited 
by  the  human  race. 

4.  In  this  institution  provision  should  be  made,  in  the 
best  manner  practicable,  for  exciting,  directing  and  aid- 
ing the  efforts  of  American  genius,  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  Jine  arts. 

With  success  in  this  departm.ent  of  science,  the  hon- 
our of  the  nation  is  closely  connected.  Europe  claims 
pre-eminence  in  the  arts,  and  looks  down  upon  the  Uni- 
ted States  with  disdain.  Let  every  encouragement  and 
facility  for  the  successful  cultivation  of  American  talent 
and  taste,  be  afforded  by  a  liberal  and  enlightened  gov- 
ernment, jealous  of  its  own  honour,  and  anxious  for  the 
best  improvement  of  its  own  sons,  in  those  arts  and  ac- 
complishments which  peculiarly  liberalize,  elevate  and 
adorn  the  human  character. 

5.  This  establishment  ought  to  afford  to  American 
youth,  the  means  of  obtaining  accurate  theoretic  and 
practical  knowledge  of  agriculture. 

The  course  of  improvement  which  this  country  seems 
destined  to  undergo,  by  means  of  canals,  turnpikes, 
bridges,  fortifications,  &c.  &c.  will  demand  increasing 
skill  in  mechanic  arts  and  operations.  The  American 
people  have  also  manifested  a  strong  predilection  for 
manufacturing  pursuits  of  various  kinds.  These  objects 
respectively  are  highly  deserving  of  national  patronage. 
But,  from  the  extent  of  our  territory,  the  excellence  of 
our  climate,  the  fertility  of  our  soil,  the  ideas,  habits 
and  necessities  of  the  people,  agricuUure  appears  likely 
to  be  the  general  and  predominant  occupation  of  the 
American  States.     And  as  a  warrant  for  making  a  sys- 


SCHOOLS  AND  COLLEGES.  359 

tern  of  instruction  on  this  subject,  an  appendnge  of  a 
great  literary  institution,  it  may  be  recollected  that  the 
example  has  been  set  in  many  of  the  mo^t  celebrated 
universities  of  Europe.  A  writer  of  considerable  abil- 
ity, on  the  state  of  the  univ^ersity  at  Oxford,  makes  the 
following-  pertinent  remarks:  **  Theolo£>-y  and  cla'?sical 
literature  have  long  flourished  at  Oxford,  and  in  mod- 
ern times,  mathematics  have  not  been  neglected.  Let 
these,  and  all  the  sciences  taught  at  our  universities, 
expand  their  influence  in  every  direction  ;  but  that  ag- 
riculture should  be  utterly  neglected,  and  that  Oxford 
and  Cambridge  should  be  the  only  two  universities  in 
the  enlightened  part  of  Europe  without  professors  for 
teaching  this  most  useful  of  all  arts,  is  a  circumstance 
that  must  excite  some  degree  of  surprise."  The  follow- 
ing remarks  of  the  same  writer,  will  apply  to  our  own 
circumstances,  and  probably  be  approved  ])y  every 
reader:  "Mere  lectures  are  insu  flic  lent  to  conunand 
the  attention,  and  give  a  turn  to  the  pursiiiLS  of  young 
men.  The  university  abounds  with  those  who  are  des- 
tined to  be  considerable  land  proprietors,^  and  if  the 
proper  means  w^ere  used,  it  would  not  be  difiicult  to  en- 
gage them  in  itiquiries  which  would  form  not  only  a 
most  beneficial  pursuit,  but  a  rational,  harmless  and  en- 
tertaining amusement.  The  effect  might  be  durable, 
end  must  be  advantageous  to  the  best  interests  of  the 
empire. "t 

*  This  i^iliterall}' tine  in  rf^jard  to  multitudes  of  young   aien   pursuing  their 
educatioo  in  the  Aujcjicau  colleges. 

f  See  appendix,  ptige  313,  8  vo.  to  the  general  view  of  the  agriculture  of  Ox- 
^ordslr.re,  drawn  up  by  the  secretary  of  the  board  and  published  in  T/>iidon  181  < 

4V^     . 


360  HINTS  FOR  IMPROVING,  &€► 

6.  Considering  the  infant  state  of  eloquence  and  polit- 
ical knowledge  in  the  American  republic,  it  appears 
reasonable  and  necessary,  that,  in  the  contemplated  in- 
stitution, the  duty  of  affording  to  American  youth  pro- 
found and  expanded  instruction,  in  civil  and  national 
law,  in  political  economy,  and  on  the  whole  science  of 
government,  should  receive  special  attention.  The 
spirit  of  our  government,  the  nature  of  our  climate,  the 
lofty  and  independent  sentiments  of  our  citizens,  and 
the  peculiar  character  and  power  of  genius  which  they 
have  already  manifested,  at  the  bar  and  in  the  legisla- 
tive hall,  inspire  us  with  the  pleasing  expectation  that 
the  United  States  will  soon  possess  many  orators  and 
statesmen,  who  will  be  the  pride  of  their  country,  and 
may  be  the  admiration  of  mankind.  Animated  by  this 
hope,  should  not  the  genius  of  our  sons  be  excited  and 
fostered  in  the  most  efficient  raiinner  practicable  ?  Can 
any  thing  be  conceived  more  worthy  the  attention  of  the 
supreme  legislature  of  an  enlightened  and  liberal  peo- 
ple, than  providing  suitable  motives  and  facilities  for 
this  progress  to  national  honour,  greatness  and  glory  ? 


NOTE  N. 
SKETCH  OF  REV.  WILLIAM  BOYD. 


The  following  brief  sketch  of  the  Rev.  William  Boyd^ 
of  Lamington,  in  the  state  of  New-Jersey,  was  prepared 
soon  after  his  decease,  by  the  writer  of  the  preceding 
narrative,  and,  at  his  request,  published  in  the  General 
Assembly's  Missionary  Magazine.  It  is  introduced  in 
this  place,  to  give  it  that  increased  circulation,  which 
the  facts  it  records  deserve. 

There  are  (ew  duties  in  the  discharge  of  which,  a 
friend  of  pious  worth  can  be  more  profitably  engaged, 
than  in  that  of  endeavouring  to  keep  in  remembrance 
the  characters  and  virtues  of  those  great  and  good  men, 
whom  it  has  pleased  God  to  take  from  this  world  to  his 
immediate  presence  and  enjoyment.  Whilst  it  pre- 
serves their  memories  from  unmerited  oblivion,  it  ex- 
tends the  knowledge  of  their  virtues :  it  exalts  the  grace 
of  God  by  displaying  its  happy  effects  in  their  holy  con- 
versation :  it  often  attracts  the  solemn  attention  of  the 
wicked :  and  it  always  serves  to  guide  the  footsteps  of 
those  who  desire  to  walk  as  becomes  the  gospel  of  Je- 
sus Christ. 

It  is  under  a  sense  of  the  truth  and  importance  of 
these  observations,  that  the  following  sketch  has  been 
written  of  the  late  Rev.  William  Boyd,  of  Lamington, 
Somerset  county,  state  of  New-Jersey. 


362 


SKETCH  OF 


Robert  Boyrl,  (he  grandtather  of  the  subject  of  thi? 
memoir,  was  a  native  of  Scotland.  During  a  persecu- 
tion in  that  country  he  lied  to  Ireland,  where  John 
Boyd,  the  father  of  William,  vvris  born.  After  residing 
there  for  a  considerable  tinne,  he  removed  with  all  his 
family,  to  America  and  settled  in  Peimsylvarjia.  Jol-n, 
probably  his  eldest  son,  was  married  to  a  young  lady,  a 
native  of  that  state,  and  settled  near  the  same  place  in 
Franklin  county.  In  this  place  was  born^  A.  D.  IfSS, 
William  Boyd.  He  had  three  brothers  and  some  sisters, 
several  of  wiiom  are  still  living  in  respectability  and 
usefulness.  He  was  deprived  of  his  father  when  about 
fifteen  years  of  oge.  But  this  loss  was  more  than  made  up 
to  him,  by  that  grace  which  it  pleased  the  Father  of  mer- 
cies to  m.anifest  to  Jiis  soul  ab(jut  the  sanie  time,  in  turn- 
ing him  from  darkness  unto  light.  Although  his  patrimony 
was  small,  he  was  by  some  means  prepared  for  college, 
and  his  education  was  completed  under  the  presidency 
of  Dr.  Witherspoon,  at  Princeton,  in  the  year  1778.  His 
uncommon  zeal  ^nd  perseverance  in  study,  appear  to 
have  proceeded  from  a  strong  desire,  which  he  express- 
ed very  early  in  life,  to  enter  into  the  sacred  ministry. 
The  first  kw  years  which  passed,  after  he  received  his 
degree  at  college,  he  spent  in  teaching  an  academy  in 
the  city,  or  vicii^ity  of  Annapolis,  and  in  a  private  fami- 
ly near  Baltimore.  He  was  soon  after  licensed  to 
preach  the  gospel  by  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle,  under 
the  direction  of  which  he  continued  till  he  entered  that 
of  >knv-Brunswick.  He  remained  for  some  time  unset-- 
tied,  preaching  as  providence  directed,  in  the  states  of 
Pennsylvania,  Nev/-Jersey,  and  New  York ;  and  his 
first  ministrations  were  both  popular  and  successful, 
invitations  and  proposals  to  settle,  crondcd    upon  iiiift 


REV.    WILLIAM    BOYD.  363 

from  different  places.  His  talents  could  easily  have 
procured  lor  him  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  vacancies 
in  our  couiitry,  but,  as  he  informed  the  writer  of  this 
memoir,  he  chose  a  more  humble  and  less  public  station. 
Young  and  inexperienced,  our  cities  filled  with  dissipa- 
tion and  temptations  of  various  kinds,  would,  he  feared, 
draw  him  aside  from  that  life  of  pict\^,  and  that  plain, 
pointed,  apostolic  mode  of  preaching,  which  appeared 
to  him  so  supremely  excellent  and  necessary.  So  early 
was  his  dislike  formed  to  the  smooth  temporising  spirit 
which  is  too  apt  to  insinuate  itself  into  the  pulpit,  and 
to  which  young  preachers  are  peculiarly  exposed,  be- 
fore they  are  seasoned  and  confirmed  in  grace,  and  when 
the  sentiments  of  society  in  general,  the  pride  of  the 
human  heart,  the  vice  and  the  caprice  of  a  populous 
city,  are  all  to  be  encountered.  For  these  reasons  Mr. 
Boyd  determined  on  a  retired  situation,  where  he  might 
execute  his  purpose  of  faithfully  preaching  the  gospel, 
with  less  interruption  and  difficulty.  He  accordingly 
accepted  the  call  that  he  received  fr^im  the  congrega- 
tion of  liamiiigton,  where  he  had  bestov*  ed  some  of  his 
itinerating  labours.  Soon  after  his  settlement  in  that 
congregation,  in  the  year  1784,  he  was  married  to  a 
daughter  of  Col.  Taylor,  who  lived  not  far  from  the 
place  of  his  residence.  SJie  proved  to  be  a  woman  of 
much  real  worth,  and  completely  calculated  to  make 
him  happy.  Whilst  her  piety  and  vivacity  tended  to 
cheer  and  enliven  him  in  his  dullest  hours,  when  op- 
pressed with  disease  or  exhausted  by  labor,  her  indus- 
try and  discretion  contributed  much  to  their  Avorldly 
prosperity  and  to  the  regularity  and  success  of  their  va- 
rious concerns.  Happy  in  his  pastoral  and  family  rela- 
tions, he  devoted  himself  with    zeal  and  constancy  to 


"364  SKETCH     OF 

the  duties  of  his  charge.  Of  a  humble  and  domestic 
disposition,  he  seldom  entered  into  the  world  bat  when 
called  by  the  voice  of  duty.  He  delighted  in  the  socie- 
ty of  his  wife  and  children,  and  devoted  himself  much 
to  perusing  carefully  and  repeatedly  those  books  to 
which  ho  had  access  in  his  retired  circumstances. 

As  a  preacher  of  the  gospel  he  was  peculiarly  excel- 
lent. Himself  deeply  penetrated  with  a  sense  of  the  to- 
tal depravity  of  the  human  heart,  o(  its  inability  to  per» 
form  anything  acceptable  to  God  without  his  gracious 
assistance,  he  endeavoured  to  impress  these  great  and 
fundamental  truths  upon  every  heart.  His  principal 
objects  were  to  demonstrate  the  necessity  of  a  divine 
atonement  and  of  faith  in  the  Redeemer  in  order  to  jus- 
tification :  to  exalt  and  establish  the  grace  of  God  upon 
the  ruins  of  human  pride  and  greatness  ;  to  pour  the  con- 
solations and  encouragements  of  the  gospel  into  the 
humble  and  contrite  heart!  to  expose  the  labyrinths  of 
hypocrisy  and  the  dangers  of  self  deception  :  to  awe  or 
allure  the  wicked  from  those  fatal  refuges  to  v  hich 
they  often  have  recourse:  in  a  word,  to  promote  the 
glory  of  God,  by  the  conversion  of  sinners  and  the  edi- 
fication of  saints.  His  talents  were  good  and  his  acquire- 
ments veri/  considerable.  He  was  remarkable  for  quick- 
ness of  apprehension,  strength  of  memory,  depth  of  pen- 
etration and  soundness  of  judgment.  These  had  all 
been  improved  and  cultivated,  by  early,  habitual  and 
continued  application.  Hence  it  is  easy  to  account 
for  his  extensive  and  accurate  information,  though  much 
secluded  from  the  world.  He  had  studied  human  na- 
ture too,  in  its  hidden  springs  and  secret  windings. 
Few  men  of  the  present  age  Lave  acquired  a  more 
clear  and  extensive  knowledge  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures, 
particularly  of  the   New  Testament,     He  possessed  a 


REV.    WILLIAM   BOYD.  366 

mind  happily  formed  for  historical  and  theological  stu- 
dies, for  polite  learning  and  profound  investigation. 
In  all  the  branches  of  science  he  had  made  considera- 
ble acquiren[ients.  lie  was  an  excellent  classical  schol- 
ar. He  vras  thoroughly  instructed  and  confirmed  in 
the  calvinistic  doctrines.  He  was  not  ostentatious,  but 
always  sensible  and  pertinent  in  his  pulpit  discourses. 
Besides  solid  instructions,  pathetic  remonstrances  and 
affectionate  invitations,  his  sermons  contained  much 
matter  that  was  original,  the  result  of  deep  reflection. 
His  views  of  divine  subjects  were  often  much  expanded 
and  highly  elevated.  But  experimental,  practical  piety 
was  the  subject  in  which  his  sovil  most  delighted,  and 
which  therefore,  was  the  frequent  theme  of  his  public 
addresses.  Being  thoroiighly  furiiishcd  unto  all  good  works 
and  from  a  child  having  known  the  Scriptures,  he  could 
use  them  aptly,  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction 
and  for  instruction  in  righteousness. 

His  style  of  preaching  was  in  general,  simple  and  sol- 
emn, dignified  and  impressive.  He  was  remarkable  for 
a  natural  facility  and  perspicuity  of  expression.  His 
ideas  flowed  freely  and  profusely.  He  spoke  of  di- 
vine things  with  that  simplicity  which  indicated  his  fa- 
miliarity with  them,  and  his  sense  of  their  infinite  weight 
and  importance.  For  a  few  years  he  adopted  the  cus- 
tom of  writing  his  sermons  and  committing  them  to 
memory ;  but  for  the  remainder  of  his  life  he  depended 
principally  upon  the  vigour  and  promptness  of  his  parts, 
upon  the  variety,  and  extent  of  his  intellectual  resour- 
ces, after  he  had  studied  and  digested  his  subject. 
Method,  natural  and  just  was  so  much  at  his  command, 
that  it  seemed  difficult  for  him  to  depart  from  sys- 
tem in  his  discourses.  He  appeared  without  the  least 
eflfort,  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  gospel,  and  to 


36iy  SKETCH  OF 

illustrate  and  apply  its  truths,  lie  was  in  general 
cool  and  deliberate,  easy  and  graceful  in  his  deliv- 
ery. His  eye  lively  and  penetrating,  his  counte- 
nance grave  and  solemn,  his  person  regular  and  hand- 
some, his  gestures  natural  and  often  striking,  liIs  voice 
sweet  and  commanding,  all  tended  to  give  weight  and 
impression  to  his  words.  But  especially  his  holy  exam- 
ple contributed  much  to  enforce  his  doctrines.  The 
delicate  state  of  his  health,  to  which  immoderate  study 
for  a  [ew  years  after  his  settlement  had  reduced  him,  did 
not  permit  him  often  to  indulge  in  that  vehement  address 
of  which  he  was  highly  capable  and  to  which  the  im- 
portance of  his  subjects  and  the  warmth  of  his  feelings 
often  impelled  him.  There  were,  however,  occasions, 
on  which,  passing  the  limits  imposed  by  his  debility,  he 
displayed  that  justness  and  grandeur  of  sentiment,  that 
purity  and  elegance  of  language,  that  warmth  and  ear- 
nestness of  manner,  which  are  the  essentials  of  true  elo- 
quence. He  commonly  spaive  as  one  having  authority  : 
his  words  could  scarrely  be  resisted,  carrying  with 
them  a  kind  of  internal  evidence  that  the  speaker  had 
been  with  God.  But  to  the  character  and  the  fame  of 
an  orator  he  did  not  aspire.  Tlie  flowers  of  rhetoric 
and  the  graces  of  expression,  had  little  of  his  attention 
or  concern.  His  supreme  desire  was  to  be  a  faithful  ser- 
vant and  humble  follov/er  of  the  blessed  Redeemer. 

With  such  excellent  natural  endowments,  with  such  a 
fund  of  acquired  knowledge,  with  such  an  affectionate, 
benevolent  heart,  and  especially,  with  such  an  active, 
glowing  piety,  it  would  be  natural  to  anticipate  from  him 
more  than  usual  success  in  the  service  of  Christ.  But, 
as  with  many  other  wise  and  good  men,  his  labours  were 
attended  with  only  a  gradual  and  ordinary  in  rease  of 
the  church  of  which  he  had  the  charge.     It  is  reasona^ 


REV.  WILLIAM   BOYD.  367 

ble,  however,  to  expect  that  the  seeds  which  he  has 
scattered  in  the  vineyard  of  God,  will  not  be  permitted 
to  perish,  but  under  the  care  and  culture  of  the  great 
Lord  of  the  harvest,  will  yet  be  made  to  grow  and 
bring  forth  fruit,  to  the  praise  of  God's  glorious  grace 
and  the  salvation  of  immortal  souls.  And  "  if  in  the 
estimation  of  heaven,  our  services  are  appreciated, 
not  by  the  good  we  accomplish,  but  the  sincerity,  the 
strength  and  constancy  of  our  exertions,"  great  indeed 
is  his  reward  in  heaven. 

Mr.  Boyd  appears  to  have  been  formed  not  less  for 
society  than  for  the  pulpit.  As  in  the  sacred  desk,  so  in 
the  social  circle,  his  manners  were  always  becoming. 
His  carriage  was  agreeable  and  unaffected  ;  his  temper, 
naturally  high,  was  reined  in  by  reason  and  subdued  by 
grace  :  his  disposition  was  remarkably  friendly  and  af- 
fectionate :  he  was  sprightly  and  animated  in  conversa- 
tion ;  he  mingled  condescension  with  dignity  ;  he  had  a 
happy  turn  of  accomm.odating  himself  to  the  tempers 
and  circumstances  of  others,  without  sanctioning  what 
was  wrong ;  he  abounded  in  anecdotes  and  historical 
narratives  of  families,  of  persons  and  of  events,  a  knowl- 
edge of  which  he  had  acquired  in  his  extensive  early 
reading,  in  his  journeyings,  and  in  his  personal  observa- 
tions and  intercourse  among  men.  He  could  make 
himself  agreeable  and  entertaining  to  persons  in  every 
rank  and  employment  in  life  ;  and  in  the  whole  of  his 
conversation  there  was  discoverable  such  a  vein  of  gen- 
uine piety  as  to  make  him  equally  agreeable  to  the  se- 
rious and  venerable  to  the  wicked.  He  exercised  the 
highest  degree  of  prudence  and  moderation  in  all  his 
deportment.  He  abstained  in  a  great  measure  from 
those  endless  controversies  which  constantly  divide  the 

47 


368  SKETCH  OF 

world  on  the  subjects  of  religion  and  politics.  He  pos-^ 
sessed  his  opinions,  and  they  were  generally  founded  in 
reason  and  equity;  but  he  displayed  the  soundest  dis- 
cretion, by  declaring  them  only  when  there  was  a  pros- 
pect of  doing  good,  or  at  least,  of  not  creating  evil.  He 
was  a  man  of  true  and  unfeigned  humility.  In  the  cir- 
cle in  which  he  moved,  he  was  the  only  one  insensible 
of  his  worth  and  distinction.  He  knew  so  much  of  the 
glory  and  excellence,  of  God,  he  realized  so  deeply  and 
affectingly  the  vileness  and  vanity  of  man,  that  he 
thought  himself  the  least  of  all  saints. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  he  was  a  sincere  and  par- 
ticular friend  of  5^outh.  He  seemed  to  be  peculiarly 
concerned  for  their  welfare.  He  used  every  means  of 
encouraging  the  difHdent,  of  stimulating  the  indolent, 
and  of  tempering  the  efforts  of  the  ambitious.  He  af- 
fectionately took  them  by  the  hand,  pressed  them  into 
his  society,  administered  to  them  his  counsels,  and  con- 
versed with  them  m.ost  familiarly  and  impressively. 

Following  the  law  and  example  of  our  Lord,  Whatso^ 
ever  ye  ivould  that  men  should  do  to  youy  do  ye  to  them  like- 
nise,  Mr.  Boyd  was  upright  and  liberal  in  his  dealings: 
he  was  ever  ready  to  forgive  injuries  and  confer  favours: 
he  was  incapable  of  wantonly  aspersing  the  character  of 
any  man,  even  of  an  enemy.  He  had  much  firmness 
and  independence  of  spirit,  and  at  the  same  time  much 
gentleness  and  condescension.  He  was  really  ami- 
able in  all  the  relative  characters  of  social  life,  as  a 
husband,  a  father,  a  friend  ;  and  his  natural  sweetness 
was  rendered  still  more  lovely  and  endearing  by  the 
charms  of  divine  grace. 

He  delighted  most,  as  we  have  already  hinted,  in  ab- 
straction from  the  world,  and  in  secret  communion  w^ith 
the  Father  of  his  spirit.     Satisfied   with  his  state,  h@ 


REV.  WILLIAM  BOYD.  369 

Courted  not  the  smiles  of  the  affluent  and  vain  glorious. 
Humble  and  unambitious,  he  cultivated  principally  an 
intimacy  with  heaven,  and  a  meetness  for  an  inheritance 
among  the  saints  in  light. 

But  the  lustre  with  which  he  shone  could  not  be  con- 
fined to  that  retired  corner  which  he  had  chosen  for  his 
abode.  The  public  became  acquainted  with  his  worth. 
He  was  reverenced  and  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him, 
as  an  Israelite  indeed.  His  opinions  were  regarded  in 
ecclesiastical  courts  and  assemblies  with  attention  and 
solemnity,  He  was  elected  a  Trustee  of  the  College  of 
New-Jersey  a  few  years  before  his  death,  and  continued 
in  that  capacity  till  his  decease.         < 

Our  view  of  this  excellent  man  becomes  most  inters 
esting,  as  we  approach  his  final  moments.  Several 
times  in  the  course  of  the  last  twenty  years,  he  had  been 
alarmed  with  a  great  weakness  in  his  breast,  a  small  dis- 
charge of  blood  from  the  lungs,  and  a  hectic  cough. 
These  consumptive  symptoms  scarcely  ever  totally  dis- 
appeared. But  with  great  prudence  and  management, 
he  retained  the  ability  of  attending  to  the  duties  of  his  of- 
fice generally,  until  about  the  beginning  of  last  March. 

He  had  been  appointed  by  the  Presbytery  of  New- 
Brunswick,  to  supply,  at  this  time,  in  a  neighbouring 
vacant  congregation.  The  weather  being  cold  and 
wet,  the  exposure  was  too  great  for  his  feeble  constitu- 
tion. On  his  return  he  was  seized  with  an  obstinate  fe- 
ver, the  consumptive  symptoms  increased,  and  the  disease 
became  fixed.  He  continued  in  this  weak  and  declin- 
ing state  till  IMay,  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  which  month 
it  pleased  God  to  take  him  from  the  world.  As  his 
complaint  was  of  the  lingering  kind,  it  afforded  him  an 
excellent  opportunity  of  manifesting  the  power  and 
glory  of  the   religion    of  Jesus.      And   very  seldom 


370  SKETCH,  &C. 

indeed  are  we  presented  vv  ith  such  a  complete  and  happy 
Christian  triumph,  as  was  beheld  in  this  servant  of  the 
Lord.  He  had  endured  so  many  bodily  pains  in  the 
course  of  life,  that  he  had  learned  to  be  patient.  He  had 
anticipated  death  so  often,  and  conversed  with  it  so  famil- 
iarly, that  its  terrors  did  not  alarm  him.  The  inmate  of 
his  bosom  had  several  years  before  been  taken  from  his 
embrace.  By  industry  and  economy  he  had  amply  pro- 
vided for  the  comfortable  establishment  in  the  world  of 
his  four  surviving  children.  Although  his  attack  was 
almost  hopeless  from  the  beginning,  he  was  calm  and  re- 
signed. He  remarked  soon  after  its  commencement, 
"  I  have  for  many  years  felt  this  weakness  growing  up- 
on me.  I  have  a  long  time  apprehended  that  I  should 
fall  a  victim  to  it,  and  now  the  time  is  coming."  Being 
asked  whether,  if  such  were  the  appointment  of  God^ 
he  would  be  willing  now  to  leave  the  world,  he  replied;, 
*'  I  have  been  examining  myself  and  searching  out  the 
evidence  of  my  being  in  a  state  of  grace,  and  upon  the 
whole  I  feel  pretty  well  satisfied  that  I  have  really  un- 
dergone a  gracious  change ;  and  I  am,  therefore,  willing 
to  submit  to  God,  knowing  that  his  own  time  and  way 
are  best."  He  enjoyed  constantly,  through  his  tedious 
and  painful  illness,  a  high  degree  of  those  cheering 
hopes  with  which  a  lively  faith  in  the  Redeemer  inspires 
its  possessor.  His  faith  was  well  founded  and  would 
therefore  bear  the  strictest  scrutiny.  He  had  "  the  tes- 
timony of  his  conscience,  that  not  with  fleshly  wisdom 
but  by  the  grace  of  God,  he  had  had  his  conversation 
in  the  world."  His  heaven  commenced  before  his  life 
was  extinguished.  His  prospects  brightened  to  the  lasto 
With  his  expiring  breath  he  exclaimed,  "I  am  not  afraid 
to  die  !"  Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  let 
my  last  end  be  like  his  I 


i  printer  tiiinks  proper,  ia  justice  to  the  writer  of  tlili  work,  lo  state,  that  hit^ 
engagements  were  such,  during  the  time  of  printing  it,  as  to  render  it  imprac- 
ticable for  him  to  superintend  the  r-orrecting  of  the  press. 
ERRATA. 

Pa-re  57,  note,  4tb  line  from  bottom,  for  "  or,"  read  on. 

60,  do.  13th  for  "  last  »  readj^'/-i«. 

62,  do      4lh  line — erase  the  mark  of  quotation  before  "  A  Committee,  &,c. 

tii",  IZth  line  from  top. — The  period  at  the  word  "prepared."  should  be  ti 
comma.— prepared, 

(16,  ir-th  line — for  "  refreshing,  read  rushing. 

7.-),  last  Hae— for  "  1815,"  read  1816. 

78,  bottom— for  ''  interest."  read  intsrests. 
J 17,  bottom  line— fcr  period  after  the  word  "congregation."  substitute  a 

comma,  thu.s — congre-^fitioit,  the 
121.  3d  Hue  oJ  note— for  "  iiresistabl*^,"  read,  ible, 
1-'8,  7th  liue— for,  "  so  far  communicated,"  read  so  far  ai  communicahd. 
392.  for   •  de  natura,  de  orntore,   Deorum,"  read  de  nalura.  Deorum,  &c. 
218,  end  ot  iith  line— insert  "  i\ms,  the  several  churches ''^ 

8th  line  from  bottom— for  ''congregation,"  read  congregations. 
2-0    in  v.\c  no'e  near  the  bottom,  for  •'  this  mean,"  read^f^is  means. 
231,    ;^>tli  line— for  '  qii  .llfication."  read  qualifications, 
27!,  14th  line — for"  word."  "  read  records. 
3.')0,    '   th  line  -for  "  adopt."  read  adapt 
{ib'S.   3d  line  from  bottom  p.  — for  "  earat,"  read  erat, 
35'>,    J7th  line — for  ''oflTere,"  read  offerrt. 
.359,   ith  line  from  bottom  -for  "  in  pursuing,"  read  pursuing' 
3^4,  1st  line — read  '*  Of  on  humble," 


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